They say, “Wait and see. She’ll grow out of it.” But I still have concerns. What should I do?
When it comes to your child…you are the expert. Whether it is your first child, and something “just doesn’t seem quite right”, or it is your fifth child and you know that “he is just not like the others”, we believe that you as the parent know your children better than anyone else.
As a parent, you get advice and information from many sources. It may be confusing to know who is right; however, when your “gut” tells you something, it is important to follow your intuition. We recommend that you find professionals that can understand your concerns, and help you develop a plan to address them.
Research tells us that the most effective intervention happens early in life. Many professionals, family members, or friends, may say, “Don’t worry, just wait a couple of months, and I am sure she will catch up.” The problem with the “just wait” theory is that if there are warranted concerns, you can miss valuable time in your child’s development.
While it is true that all children develop at a different pace, there may be lasting effects when milestones are delayed or missed. Developmental success is dependent upon the establishment of early foundational skills. Those foundational skills such as rolling, crawling, mouthing, etc., are the building blocks for higher level functions.
For instance, we have many parents that say their child did not crawl, or crawled for only a short period of time. While some may be excited that their child has jumped right to walking, they may not realize that he has missed an important step in his development. During the crawling phase, children are strengthening their shoulder and hip muscles which are necessary for sitting and writing. They are also developing their tactile system and learning to discriminate sensations on their hands. The visual system is being further developed, and children are continuing to develop improved bilateral coordination (use of both sides of the body). It is such an important step of development, and if it is missed or shortened for any reason, the child may struggle with more complex tasks later in development.
We believe that if you have concerns it is important to address them. If you would like to schedule a free consultation with one of our therapists to discuss your concerns, please click the link below or call our office at 636-928-LEAP (5327).