It's an exciting adventure in becoming a parent. Then when our bundle of joy arrives, we only want the best for our son or daughter. Over time as we take our child to visit our family doctor or pediatrician through his or her first year of life, we are constantly learning about what he or she can do. In some cases, parents find out that their son or daughter is not meeting the developmental milestones in comparison to their peers.
Identifying Delays in Developmental Milestones
As a parent you may have expressed some concerns with your child's physician about concerns that you may have had in regards to your child's development or your child's doctor may have noticed through these check-ups that your child is "behind" in developing these skills in comparison with children his or her age. These developmental milestones such as language, fine motor skills (i.e. picking things up, feeding him/herself, etc.), gross motor skills (i.e. sitting up, crawling, walking), or other health concerns are all issues that can be assessed and evaluated through the assistance of your local area's special education agency.
Take Action: Advocate for Special Education Assessments & Services
When you reach this decision, it's easy to feel guilty or defensive (especially if the child's physician is recommending that your child may be behind in certain developmental benchmarks or skills). It's at this time that your child is relying on you to become their advocate. At this point it doesn't matter how your child came to possibly needing these services, but more importantly that you advocate for your child to have the assessment done and if needed, obtain services.
To find more information on how to go about this read "Trust Your Instincts When Asking for Special Education Services for Your Child."
Identifying Delays in Developmental Milestones
As a parent you may have expressed some concerns with your child's physician about concerns that you may have had in regards to your child's development or your child's doctor may have noticed through these check-ups that your child is "behind" in developing these skills in comparison with children his or her age. These developmental milestones such as language, fine motor skills (i.e. picking things up, feeding him/herself, etc.), gross motor skills (i.e. sitting up, crawling, walking), or other health concerns are all issues that can be assessed and evaluated through the assistance of your local area's special education agency.
Take Action: Advocate for Special Education Assessments & Services
When you reach this decision, it's easy to feel guilty or defensive (especially if the child's physician is recommending that your child may be behind in certain developmental benchmarks or skills). It's at this time that your child is relying on you to become their advocate. At this point it doesn't matter how your child came to possibly needing these services, but more importantly that you advocate for your child to have the assessment done and if needed, obtain services.
To find more information on how to go about this read "Trust Your Instincts When Asking for Special Education Services for Your Child."
