Child Development: When to Seek Help for Your Child – First Year
As a parent it can be difficult to know whether to seek help for your child’s growth and learning or whether you have no need to worry.
The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has guidelines available as to the social, emotional, physical and cognitive milestones children typically reach at different stages of their development in the early years.
The guidelines below provide specific examples of when to seek advice during your child’s first year.
When to Seek Help:
Birth to 4 Months
It is recommended you seek advice if your child:
- is floppy or stiff or arches his/her back
- cries excessively
- is not responding to sounds
- is not showing interest or responding when played with
- is not feeding as expected
- is not starting to make sounds
- is not responding to familiar faces
4 – 8 Months
It is recommended you seek advice if your child:
- is not learning to make sounds
- is not responding to familiar faces
- is not learning to roll when playing on floor
- is not responsive to carers
- is not babbling and making sounds
- is not playing with feet / swapping objects between hands
8 – 12 Months
It is recommended you seek advice if your child:
- is not responsive to carers
- is not babbling and making sounds
- is not beginning to sit, crawl, or pull to stand
- is not playing with feet, swapping objects between hands
- is not interested in holding toys
- is not learning to eat solids
It’s important to keep in mind that these are guidelines only, not hard and fast rules. Learning and development is not linear and each child develops in their own unique ways and in their own time.
Help is At Hand
As a Paisley Park family you have access to many resources to support your child and your family. Our Educators and Centre Directors are experts in Early Learning and childhood development.
If your child does require some extra support in any area of their learning and development, we can work with you to find the right resources and help.
When our Educator notices any areas in your child’s development that they believe need some additional focus, they will reach out to you to discuss their concerns. They will support you through the process of seeking the help you need.
If our team hasn’t approached you but you have concerns yourself, talk to your child’s Educator or our Centre Director for their thoughts and guidance.
We hope these tips will help you know when you might need to seek help or advice for your child…