Child development is a process that involves ages and stages.
Understanding your child’s changing growth and developmental milestones is an important part of parenting. As infants and children progress through a series of growth stages, they may encounter common physical or emotional challenges.
Out team of experts at Child Guidance, Counselling & Parenting Clinic, Udaipur (CGC) are experienced at evaluating the development process as per the age and stage. Our doctors can help you understand what your child is going through and spot any issues along the way.
Understanding the ‘Child development process’
Stages of child development are important measures of growth and maturity. It includes changes in physical development, emotions, personality, behaviour, thinking and speech that children develop as they begin to understand and interact with the world around them. All these are continuous changes that occur from infancy to adolescence. E.g. Skills such as taking a first step or smiling for the first time are called developmental milestones.
Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, emote, behave, speak, act , learn, and move.
Our team of experts at Child Guidance, Counselling & Parenting Clinic, Udaipur (CGC), are often contacted by parents/family members, if they suspect that their child is doing poorly at any of these developmental milestones. Parents may report to us if they see that their child is unable to play, learn, emote, behave, speak, act , learn, and move about as per his/her expected age.
Measuring Child Development: Physical & Psychosocial
Kids grow at their own pace. There are a wide range of healthy shapes and sizes among children. Genetics, gender, nutrition, physical activity, health problems, environment and hormones all play a role in a child’s height and weight, and many of these can vary widely from family to family.
Our teams of child psychologists and psychiatrists carry out psychosocial evaluation as per the child’s overall background, well-being, environment, language, socio-economic factors, ability and exposure.
The child’s physician or psychiatrist may also consider:
- Carrying out a psychological assessment for other developmental milestones.
- Physical evaluation to check if the child has adequate growth, development, height, weight and BMI.
- Evaluation of child’s birth and development history.
Developmental delays in children and adolescents
Child development incorporates, physical growth as well as intellectual, language, emotional and social development. Whilst these aspects are often considered separately, in reality each influences all of the others. For example, as the brain develops physically, so intellectual abilities increase. This in turn allows a child to explore their social world more fully, develop their emotional responses to it and the language needed to describe it, but in turn, this exploration directly impacts on further physical brain development.
Developmental delay refers to a child’s difficulty reaching developmental milestones at the expected age. This can include delays in motor skills, speech, cognitive skills, or social and emotional development.
Causes of developmental delays in children/adolescents.
Developmental delays can be isolated, affecting a single domain, or global, affecting most developmental areas. They can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Complications before, during or post the birth, such as being born prematurely or low birth weight.
- Environmental issues, such as specific medicines, chemicals, radiation, lead poisoning or exposure to alcohol or drugs before birth
- Other medical conditions, such as chronic ear infections or vision problems.
- Inherent physical problems in parents before birth.
- Genetic issues such as Down’s syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Wilson’s disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, Rett syndrome, Williams syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Inborn errors of metabolism in children etc.
- The doctor will perform tests to rule out other problems, including imaging, blood tests, hearing problems and certain neurological disorders. If no other cause can be found for the delays, the child will be referred for formal psychosocial testing.
Developmental delays and intellectual ability in children and adolescence
Developmental delays affect more than one area of a child’s development is called global developmental delay. It affects the child’s overall performance in all areas, at home, school, studies and with peers.
Cognitive Delays and intellectual problems (low IQ)
Intelligence in children
“Intelligence” is a term we use to describe a child’s overall capacity to learn, understand, reason, and solve problems. Intelligence in childhood is more than just memorizing facts or getting good grades. It’s about how your child processes information, makes connections, and applies their knowledge to different situations. It’s their ability to grasp new concepts, think critically, and find creative solutions.
Cognitive delays may affect a child’s intellectual functioning, interfering with attention, awareness and causing learning problems that often become apparent after a child begins school. Children with cognitive delays may also have difficulty communicating and playing with others. Such children when tested on a standard IQ measures will be detected having low intelligence or low IQ.
This type of intellectual problems may occur in children who have experienced a birthing problems, brain injury, long medical illness, due to an infection (such as meningitis), seizure disorders, and genetic / chromosomal disorders that affect intellectual development, such as Down syndrome, may also increase the risk of a cognitive delay.
Intellectual disability
Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. These areas are:
- Intellectual functioning. Also known as IQ, this refers to a person’s ability to learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems.
- Adaptive behaviors. These are skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care of oneself.
Evaluation of Intelligence/IQ tests:
IQ (intelligence quotient) is measured by an IQ test. Tests for assessing adaptive ability are also there.
We at CGC are have a team of well-trained child psychologists and psychiatrists for measuring a child’s developmental delay , IQ and adaptive behaviours. Our mental health specialists schedule sessions for proper observation and evaluation of the child’s skills. Our doctors are experienced at detecting intellectual disability and treating these as well. We also carry out IQ testing and disability certifications.
Early detection and intervention in children with developmental delays and poor intelligence
Early detection and treatments in such children can help avoid long-term disability.
We aim at optimal health child growth and development. We help in holistic interventions directly aiming at improving child’s abilities, skills, nutrition, genetics, environment, affluence, schooling, exposure, socio-cultural factors, family stability, parenting styles, education and interaction with peers.
Treatments at CGC , Udaipur include psychosocial rehabilitation, parental counselling, family intervention, occupational therapy, speech therapy, school-based intervention and/or physical therapy services. In addition to addressing the specific delays, intervention and treatment can help with a child’s self-esteem, self-confidence and mood issues.
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Further references
- The five developmental delay areas to consider are motor skills, speech, social skills, cognitive abilities and activities of daily living. Available at: https://nortonhealthcareprovider.com/news/assessing-children-for-developmental-delay/
2. Intellectual Disability in children. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/child-intellectual-disability
3. Intellectual Disability. Available at : https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25015-intellectual-disability-id
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