Early diagnosis
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The age range of 0-3 years is the most important period of child development.
Developmentally delayed infants and toddlers’ potentials are heavily dependent on early diagnosis and early intervention.
Parents who have the closest interaction with their child through pregnancy and nursing periods must look into their child’s developmental stages and visit a pediatrician regularly to be aware of whether their child is within the normal range in physical, social, language, hearing, and sight development.
Medical doctors and nurses are educated to refer patients to regional centers for disability diagnosis and early intervention in cases of developmental delay in infants and toddlers. However, even if medical doctors and nurses do not warn parents of these delays, parents with a suspicion must consult with Regional Center, a local public school, or the school district office for developmental assessments. If you have the Help Me Grow organization nearby, you could contact them.
Infants and toddlers at-risk who have not yet received a disability diagnosis are entitled to free professional assessments and early intervention if they are suspected of a developmental delay or the possibility of developmental delays. It is important not to miss the developmentally critical period with procrastination or shame due to the negative image of a disability diagnosis.
Not only motor skills such as sitting, crawling, standing, walking, and running, but also eye-contact and smiling during nursing, babbling, and actively expressing interest in social relationships are important developmental indicators. Also, they must be carefully observed in appropriately reacting to sound, light, and visual stimuli. One might assume that children are not responding to the calling of their names or toys. However, they must be checked out for possible hearing impairment, concentration, or range of interest. It is crucial that children keep up with development of pronunciation, vocabulary, and structure of sentences appropriate to their age between the ages of 1 and 2 years of age.
Autism can be noticeable and typically diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 3. Communication and avoidance of human interactions are important indicators for an autism diagnosis. It is important that children are diagnosed by professionals.
Diagnosing disabilities cannot be done through a simple checklist or developmental indicators. It must be done by licensed professionals such as a medical doctor or psychologist. Basic information can be obtained via conversations with others or internet sources. However, do not easily and quickly determine whether a child has a disability or not.
The best early diagnoses should be done by medical doctors or Regional Centers.
