How to understand that a child is lagging behind in development?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Not all children master certain skills equally well, but for some it happens because of their laziness, while for others it is a diagnosis. Recently, the problem of child development has become especially acute, and it is difficult to name the real reasons. The article will talk about what to do if the child is lagging behind in development, what are the signs and causes of this lag. 'Cause nothing comes for nothing.

Reason for lagging behind

There are not so many reasons why children begin to lag behind in development, but each of them has pitfalls that should be paid attention to. So, let's talk about each of them separately:

1. Wrong pedagogical approach. This reason, perhaps, should be called the first and one of the most important. Its meaning lies in the fact that mother and father do not find time to teach their child the elementary things that every child should be able to do. Such pedagogical neglect has manyconsequences. The child cannot communicate normally with his peers, and this haunts him throughout his life. Other parents, on the contrary, try to impose something on their child, force him to communicate with children when he likes to be alone more, or force him to learn something that is not at all interesting for him at this age. In such cases, adults simply forget that all children are different, and each has its own character and temperament. And if the daughter does not look like her mother, then this does not mean that you need to forcefully remake her, it means that you need to accept the child as he is.
2. Mental lag. These are children with a normally working brain, who lead a full life, but infantilism accompanies them throughout their lives. And if in childhood they are just inactive children who do not like noisy games and big companies, then at an older age such people get tired quickly, and generally have a low level of efficiency. Throughout their lives, they are accompanied by neurosis, they often fall into depression, even cases of psychosis have been recorded. This problem can be solved, but only with the help of a psychiatrist.
3. Biological factors often leave a trace at the level of a child's development. These include difficult childbirth or various diseases that a woman could have had while pregnant. Children with Down syndrome are also included. But here the genetic factor plays an important role. The difference between these children and others will be noticeable from birth and throughout life. But do not confuse the concept when a child is 2 weeks behind in development, evenbeing in the womb, since this is a completely different diagnosis that requires a separate article. Moreover, it is not worth judging the possibilities of an unborn baby. Often, ultrasound is wrong and only in vain worries the expectant mother.
4. Social factors. This is where the environment plays an important role. Developmental delays can be affected by family relationships, parenting patterns, relationships with peers, and more.

Signs of falling behind children under one year

You should observe the developmental features of your child from the first days of his life. Since it is up to a year that a child must master the most important skills that will be useful to him throughout his life. And at this age, parents see what their baby already knows, what changes are taking place in his behavior. So, how to understand that a child is lagging behind in development a year:

• Perhaps it is worth starting from the age of two months. At this time, the baby has already got used to the world around him, he understood who is around him. A he althy child at two months is already concentrating his attention on a particular subject that interests him. It can be mom, dad, a bottle of milk or a bright rattle. If parents do not notice this skill, then it is worth looking more closely at the behavior of the baby.
• It should be alarming if the child has no reaction to any sounds, or if this reaction is present, but it manifests itself in too sharp a form.
• During games and walks with a child, you need to monitor whether he focuses his eyes on some objects. If the parents don't see it, thenthe reason may lie not only in the lag in development, but also in poor eyesight.
• At three months, babies are already starting to smile, and you can also hear their first “coo” from babies.
• About a year old, a child can already repeat some sounds, remembers them and pronounces them even in those moments when he does not hear. The absence of such a skill should greatly alarm mom and dad.

Of course, no one says that if at least one of these signs was seen in a child, then this is a clear lag. All children are different and may learn skills in different sequences. However, this process needs to be controlled in order to detect violations in time and start working on them.

Baby at two years old

If parents have not noticed any disorders in a one-year-old baby, then this is not a reason to stop monitoring his development. And this is especially true for those moms and dads whose kids learn new skills more slowly than other kids. At two years old, the child already knows quite a lot, and it becomes easier to control the development process. So, in order to know for sure whether the development of the child is normal, it is worth knowing that at two years old the baby can:

• Can freely go up and down stairs, dance to the beat of the music.
• Knows how not only to throw, but also to catch a light ball, leafing through books without any difficulty.
• Parents are already hearing their first "whys" and "hows" from their children, as well as simple one- or two-word sentences.
• He can copy the behavior of adults and has already mastered the game ofhide and seek.
• The child already knows his name, and can tell his name to an adult, also names the objects that surround him, enters into a dialogue with peers on the playground.
• Becomes more independent and can put on socks or panties by himself.
• Sitting at the table, he drinks from a cup himself, can hold a spoon and even eat on his own.

If the baby has not yet mastered most of the above points, and he is already two years old, then it is worth working with him, you may need the help of a specialist.

Child at three years old

How to understand that a child at 3 years old is lagging behind in development? It is enough to spend as much time as possible with your baby and watch what he does and listen to how he talks. And to make it easier for mothers to distinguish the lag from normal development, everything that a three-year-old baby has already managed to master in such a short period of his life will be described below.

At three years old, a child can already be safely called a personality. After all, he has already formed a character, he has his own tastes and preferences, even these children have already developed a sense of humor. You can talk with such a baby, ask him questions about how the day went and what he especially remembers. A normally developing child will respond fluently by constructing five to seven word sentences.

With such a child it is already possible to go for walks. He will be happy to consider new places and objects, ask many questions. Moms during this period are especiallyit's hard to answer all the "why" and "why", but you should be patient, because the baby should not think that his questions annoy you.

At this age, all children, regardless of gender, are very fond of coloring and drawing. It is enough just once to show the baby how to use crayons and felt-tip pens, and he will spend hours drawing new masterpieces. You can even give the child paints, but warn in advance that they should not be eaten, no matter how bright and beautiful they may be.

If a mother notices that her three-year-old baby still does not know how to do something, then it is worth giving him a little more time, teaching him new knowledge. Indeed, in most cases, it is precisely because of the lack of parental attention that children lack certain skills.

Child at 4 years old - what to be afraid of

Each child develops as fast as his body needs, so do not try to make a child prodigy out of a child if the neighbor boy speaks three words more. However, progress should come as you grow older, and if you see that there are some violations in the development of the child, then it is better to immediately consult a doctor, and not wait until it “passes by itself.”

By what signs can one determine that at 4 years old a child is lagging behind in development?

1. Reacts poorly to the company of other children: often shows aggression or, conversely, is afraid to communicate with others.
2. Strongly refuses to be without parents.
3. Can't focus on one activity for more than five minutes, hisdistracts literally everything.
4. Refuses to spend time with children, does not make contact.
5. Little interested, limited hobbies.
6. Refused to contact not only children but also adults, even those he knows well.
7. Still can't learn his name and last name.
8. Does not understand what is a fictional fact and what can actually happen.
9. If you watch his mood, he is more often in a state of sadness and sadness, rarely smiles, and generally does not show almost any emotions.
10. Has difficulty building a tower of blocks or being asked to build a pyramid.
11. If he draws, he cannot draw a line with a pencil without the help of an adult.
12. Child can't hold a spoon, and therefore can't eat on his own, falls asleep with difficulty, unable to brush his teeth or wash himself. Mom has to dress and undress the baby every time.

In some children, developmental delay also manifests itself in such a way that they refuse to perform some actions that were simple for them at the age of three. Such changes must be reported to the doctor so that he can help the child in time, and the baby begins to develop normally, on the same level as his peers.

Children at five years old

By the age of five, children are fully grown and have many skills. They have some knowledge of mathematics,they begin to read a little and even write their first letters. But how to understand that at the age of 5 a child is lagging behind in development. Everything is already quite simple here. Moreover, most likely, the lag was noticeable even at an earlier age, but parents could simply not attach any importance to this or decided to wait for it to “go away on its own”. So, at the age of five, you can already pay attention to the learning ability of the child, because at this age he already freely begins to count up to ten, not only forward, but also in reverse order. He freely adds one to small numbers. Many children already know the names of all the months and days of the week.

By the age of five, children already have a well-developed memory, and they easily memorize various quatrains, know various counting rhymes and even tongue twisters. If a mother reads a book to a child, then he can freely retell it, remembers all the most important events. He also talks about how the day went and what he did in kindergarten.

Many mothers at this age are already beginning to actively prepare their children for school, so most kids already know the alphabet and even read in syllables. Also, children already draw well, while coloring pictures they can choose the right color for a long time, they practically do not go beyond the contours. At this age, you can already think about sending the child to some kind of circle, since his interest in this or that type of creativity is already clearly visible.

But children who do not have a craving for learning at all and have not acquired interests need additional attention. Infantilism is not excluded, which requires treatment only undersupervision of a psychiatrist.

Soon to school

At the age of six, some children are already in school, but are they ready? It seems to many parents that it is better to send the child to school early so that he grows up faster, etc. But few people think that some children at the age of 6 are behind in development and need the help of specialists. This is not a fictional fact, but the data of psychological and pedagogical research, which show that 20% of children who come to the first grade are diagnosed with mental retardation. This means that the child lags behind his peers in mental development and cannot master the material on the same level with them.

ZPR is not a sentence, and if parents turned to specialists for help in time, then their baby can safely study at a comprehensive school. Of course, one should not demand excellent results from him, but if he receives help from a specialist, then he will master the curriculum at a sufficient level.

Types of ZPR

There are four main types of the origin of DRA, which have their own causes and, accordingly, manifest themselves in different ways.

1. Constitutional origin. This species is transmitted exclusively by inheritance. Here there is immaturity not only of the psyche, but also of the body.
2. Somatogenic origin. The child could have suffered a disease that had such an effect on his brain. These children are normally developedintelligence, but as for the emotional-volitional sphere, serious problems arise here.
3. Psychogenic origin. Most often occurs in those children who grow up in dysfunctional families, and their parents do not take care of them at all. There are serious problems with the development of intelligence, children are completely unable to do something on their own.
4. Cerebro-organic origin. Of the four types of ZPR, this is the most severe form. It occurs as a result of difficult childbirth or pregnancy. Here, at the same time, there is a delay in development in the intellectual and emotional-volitional spheres. These kids are mostly homeschooled.

Next, it is worth considering the question that arises if the child is behind in development. What to do with this problem and is it possible to overcome it completely?

Advice for parents

Parents are the people who should provide assistance to a child with mental retardation in the first place. Since this diagnosis cannot be attributed to medical, it does not make sense to treat it in the hospital. Here are some tips for parents on what to do if their child is retarded:

• This disease should be studied in detail. There are many useful and interesting articles on this topic that will at least slightly open the veil of secrecy over such a terrible diagnosis.
• Don't put off seeing a specialist. After consultation with a neurologist and psychoneurologist, the child will need the help of such specialists as a speech therapist, psychologist, speech pathologist.
• For activities with a child worthpick up some interesting didactic games that will help him develop his mental abilities. But games should be selected based on the abilities of the child, so that it is not difficult for him. Because any difficulties discourage the desire to do anything at all.
• If a child goes to an ordinary school, then he must do his homework every day at the same time. At first, the mother should always be there and help the baby, but gradually he should get used to doing everything himself.
• You can sit on forums where parents with the same problems will share their experiences. "Together" to cope with such diagnoses is much easier.

Conclusion

As you can see, the task of parents is not only to control the development of the child, but also to actively participate in this process. Since it is parental negligence that often leads to the fact that quite capable children who could study "excellently" receive such a diagnosis as mental retardation. Moreover, a child under six years old does not need so much time for classes, because at this age he quickly gets tired of performing various tasks. The information presented in the review will help answer the question of how to understand that a child is lagging behind in development. If parents study this material in detail, they will find a lot of useful things for themselves.