Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/conducting-informal-developmental-assessments-of-infants/5020576/
In terms of assessing a child’s developmental abilities, what age group first comes to mind? Often, early childhood educators begin thinking about developmental assessments when children are between the ages of 3 and 5. However, we need to be cognizant of the fact that child development begins from the moment a child is born. It is, therefore, our responsibility as early childhood professionals to begin examining and assessing children’s growth and development from the very moment they are placed in our care; this can happen as early as 6 weeks of age.Here we provide you with a framework of the five domains of development and highlight which areas to focus on when assessing infants (0-12 months).
The Five Developmental Domains
When informally assessing the development of the infant population, it is important to keep in mind the five developmental domains:
1. Cognition: thinking and learning skills
2. Communication: receptive and expressive language skills
3. Social/Emotional: the ability to relate to and interact with others
4. Physical: fine moter (i.e., the coordination of the small muscles) and gross motor (i.e., the coordination of large muscle groups)
5. Adaptive Behavior: self-help skills (e.g., toileting, dressing, feeding, etc.)
Developmental Milestones
�" Social/Emotional/Communication
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