Day by day your child is developing and learning something new. Everywhere you look you see charts about what your child should be doing at what age. When to be concerned is a heavy question on the minds of new parents. Early intervention, as many of us know, is the best thing we can do to help your children however, every child develops at their own rate. I speak only from experience. My son just turned ten and is developmentally delayed and has been walking the thin line towards an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since he was very young. The hardest part of being his parent is understanding what he is thinking and relating that to his acts of passion.
SPECIFIC AGE: birth to 24 months (when recognizing an ASD it is difficult to pin point a specific age)
DESCRIBE THE OBSERVABLEBEHAVIORS THAT A CHILD WITH THIS DELAY MIGHT EXHIBIT?
A child with an ASD might have trouble being cuddled, wrapped tightly in a blanket (swaddling), or even begin to smile at you. By 4 months of age this child may find it difficult to follow bright colors, show interest in people, or even turn his/her head towards loud noises. Between 6 and 9 months of age, a child with ASD may cry when he/she is happy, have difficulty expressing joy in facial expressions, and may have minimal cooing or babbling. By 12 months of age, a child with an ASD may not respond when his/her name is called and may not be interested in social games like peek-a-boo. Between ages 12 and 24 months, this child may become more reserved and less interested in learning about others, shows little joy in facial expressions, has difficulty learning new words, and may be withdrawn from other children their age.
HOW MIGHT THIS DELAY IMPACT THEOR LEARNING NEEDS IN A CLASSROOM?
This delay impacts the child greatly because at this age children are exploring the world around them, forming new relationships with peers, and learning new words and sounds every day. If a child with ASD is placed in a classroom environment this child may appear to be extremely aggressive or extremely withdrawn. Without a proper understanding about what could potentially be happening, this child may not receive the care and education he/she deserves.
DESCRIBE TO THE PARENT HOW A QUALITY PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES SUPPORT AND FACILITATES DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CHILD.
A child that may have an ASD will have it for his/her entire life. The best thing you can do for the child is teach them to live in the world around us. Being in a preschool structure that involves routine, consistency, and curriculum will begin to teach the child about the world. The preschool classroom environment also allows him/her time to adjust to peers and learning ways of communicating with them. A preschool classroom environment provides visual aids that assist the child in learning what we do where. Example: a picture of a child washing their hands above the sink.