The Differences in Milestones between a Normal Person and a Person with Developmental Disabilities - Essay Example

College: The differences in milestones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin this address by reminding you that, virtually everyone is oblivious of the fact that they have taken a developmental route from birth to where they are. Many people fail to see the fact that the person on a wheelchair would have been them. However, it is important to note that we follow a certain development path that marks whether we are normal or have disabilities. Ollendick and Schroeder (169), define developmental milestones as to the normative ages at which infants and children attain or acquire certain skills and abilities. Childhood is a period marked by incredible growth rate and every parent is excited about the future prospects of their children. Despite our differences that we show once we are on this earth, we develop along a certain route but at different rates. While some are slow in developing, others are fast. Yet others need wheelchairs to move around. Meyerhoff (6) believe that children are always surrounded by eager caretakers who follow every step of the kid’s growth, always enquiring why the child next door is developing fast than theirs. Many beg to ask if normal development has a range. Although, people develop at different rate, normal development has a range that is used to show the differences in milestones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities. According to Meyerhoff (6), developmental milestones are crucial in assessing the development of a child. It is good to note that the milestones are not static as different individuals either exhibit skills earlier while other individuals are late in exhibiting the skills. The milestones are also used to diagnose children with developmental disorders. These milestones are often associated with development of language capabilities, motor and social development. The milestones are divided into age categories and a normal child should show the skills and abilities of one age category before they enter into the next age category. It is also important to note that children develop differently in the different areas. Further, children who develop fast in one area may be slow in other areas. For example, a child who learns to use verbal language may struggle with spoken language. Another factor to note in developmental milestones is cultural differences. The development of an individual may be influenced by cultural and environmental differences. It is common knowledge that cultures perceive things differently. For example, making eye contact, speaking to adults and being inventive may be hindered by some cultures. This implies that individuals will lack necessary skills and abilities in those areas. Children development may also be hindered by exposure to a new language before they fully understand the original medium of communication (Meyerhoff 6). Within the course of development, some individuals may show behaviors, skills or abilities that are different from their peers or are out of their normal development age category. These behaviors are called atypical behaviors. However, emergence of such behaviors may not necessarily mean that the child has developmental disability. These behaviors may express the individual’s personality or may be an indication of future problems. It is important that those taking care of the individual to note the behaviors and the area of development at which they occur, for example, language, motor or social development area. Meyerhoff (6) argues that the rate at which these behaviors occur may be cause for an alarm. Some of these behaviors may disappear or have no effect on future development of the individual. It is good to note that there is a huge difference between delayed developmental skills and delayed skills due to effect of developmental disabilities. Ollendick and Schroeder (170) have established that developmental milestones for a normal individual are divided into duration of three months, each with motor, language and sensory and thinking skills. At three months a child should lift the head when held at the shoulder and when held upright, lift chin when lying on stomach, roll from side to back and reach with two hands. The child should also cry and make cooing sounds. It should recognize a breast or a feeding bottle. In many cases, children also smile when smiled at. Crying or putting up facial expression to express fear or hunger should also be exhibited. At six months, the child should sit when supported, roll from back to side, pull itself to a sitting position, reach at things with one hand, play with the toes, and explore things using the mouth and move things from one hand to the other. Language-wise, the child should babble, know familiar faces, laugh when giggled, smile at the reflection in a mirror and shriek if annoyed or when afraid. At twelve months, the child should; roll to an upright facing position, sit without help, stand when helped, walk when held hand or through propping itself and sometimes a few steps alone, crawl, and stand without any help. Language-wise, the child should; imitate speech from other people around him, use gestures to communicate especially when in need of something, react to simple instructions, acquire first words and imitate sounds without understanding the meaning. The child should also start playing simple games, fear strangers and welcome familiar faces, take initiatives and start imitating emotional expressions as a social reference as asserted by Ollendick and Schroeder (170). According to Horovitz and Matson (2281), the difference between developmental milestones in normal children and children with developmental disabilities may be very small. These researchers have established some developmental milestones for children with known developmental disabilities. Among children with Down syndrome, crawling started at around 12.5 months, walking at 19.82 months and utterance of first words at 13.16 months. This developmental milestone did not differ much with developmental milestones of children with cerebral palsy and prematurity problems. Children with Seizure disorder were almost showing normal development albeit very late expression of abilities. For example, the children crawl at 8.55 months, start walking at 13.60 months and utter the first words at 13.45 months. Despite the close difference, the disorder affects children’s normal development. Developmental disabilities affect development of motor and communication skills in children. This may affect the overall development in the child. However, when all is taken into account, children with specific developmental disabilities like autism may experience greater delays in development than those with atypical development disabilities. As I conclude, I would like to point out that development in individuals is an indicator of the health of an individual. It is hard to determine whether a child has a development disability after birth. With time and as the children develops, the rate at which development takes place determines the health of the child and the future prospects. The developmental milestones are an important element that helps to diagnose individuals with disorders. While developmental milestones are crucial in assessing the health of an individual, it is important to note that, individuals grow at different rates. Some develop fast and others develop slowly. Despite this difference, certain benchmark skills and abilities should be acquired at a certain age irrespective of the culture and environment. Works cited Ollendick, Thomas and Schroeder, Carolyn. Encyclopedia of Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology. New York: Springer, 2003. Print. Horovitz, Max and Matson, Johnny. Developmental Milestones in Toddlers with Atypical Development. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32.6(2011): 2278-2282. Meyerhoff, Michael. Making Sense of Developmental Milestones. Work and Family Life, 14.10(2000): 6. Outline Introduction: Ollendick and Schroeder (169), define developmental milestones as to the normative ages at which infants and children attain or acquire certain skills and abilities. Although, people develop at different rate, normal development has a range that is used to show the differences in milestones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities. I. Importance of Developmental Milestones A. Assessing the development of a child B. Used to diagnose children with developmental disorders II. Factors Affecting Developmental Milestones A. Culture B. Environmental differences III. Developmental Milestones for an abnormal person A. Language recognition difficulties B. Inability to respond to stimuli IV. Developmental Milestones for a normal person A. Language recognition B. Respond to stimuli properly Conclusion: The developmental milestones are an important element that helps to diagnose individuals with disorders. While developmental milestones are crucial in assessing the health of an individual, it is important to note that, individuals grow at different rates. Some develop fast and others develop slowly. Despite this difference, certain benchmark skills and abilities should be acquired at a certain age irrespective of the culture and environment. Read More