Sharing Developmental Concerns with Parents

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/sharing-developmental-concerns-with-parents/5021432/

From day one, you suspected that something was different with Jake. One of 20 students in your class, Jake, age 4, was the only child who was showing signs of atypical development. When given opportunities for social play, not only were Jake’s play skills not functional or purposeful in nature, but he showed little interest in engaging other children in any kind of social interaction. When he did show interest, he just watched, perhaps not knowing how to join in, and then drifted off by himself. Often, Jake could be observed isolating himself in the corner of the classroom, spinning the wheels of a car for long periods of time or lining up blocks in rows on the floor or towers. Communicatively, Jake’s expressive language skills were limited, even though he had a big vocabulary. This left him unable to put words together to effectively express his wants and needs to adults and peers. Jake’s limited skills in this area often triggered tantrum behaviors, as he was unable to communicate thirst, hunger, discomfort, or pain. Based on conversations you have had with Jake’s parents in the past, they believe he may be a little late to develop, though their concerns do ...