Under development
It's not just about walking and talking; there are plenty of other developmental milestones your little one passes through that are extremely significant, explains occupational therapist Margot Barry
FOR many parents, the words 'developmental milestones' bring memories of their children's first words and first steps. These much anticipated moments, which usually happen around the first birthday, are to be celebrated. However, there are many lesser known events in the first 12 months of a child's development to be anticipated and celebrated, including the development of hand function and tactile sensory development ( sense of touch).
Development of hand function
Within the first 12 months of a child's development there are emerging skills that lead to the child's ability to scribble using a pencil or crayon. These skills can already be seen from the age of three months, when a child starts looking at, reaching out and touching toys or large patterns. At this point in time the child will not be able to form a voluntary grasp but they will manage to aim their hand correctly at the toy they are trying to touch. About a month after they achieve this, the skill of actually grasping the toy of their choice will develop.
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TOP TIPS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR BABY’S COMMUNICATION |
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The first 12 months of your baby’s development is a magical time. Do you remember your baby's first cry or first smile? From the moment your baby is born they will begin to communicate through crying, and by 12 months your baby will have started to make sounds, use gestures and possibly speak their first word. It is a fascinating period of development for your baby’s communication. Throughout this period their understanding of the world starts to develop and they will learn how to use key social skills such as eye contact, smiling, body language (clinging, snuggling, head turning), taking turns in ‘conversations’ and initiating communication to get a reaction. All of these skills are laying down the foundations for your baby’s further speech, language and communication skills. So what can you do to help your baby develop the best communication skills that they possibly can?
Well firstly we need to recognise that all children go through different Stages of Communication Development but the rate of communication can vary depending on the child. Some babies and children will develop certain skills faster than others, and some may be slower to develop certain skills compared to babies and children of the same age, however, there are some ‘top tips’/strategies that are effective in encouraging communication development for all children.
Top Tip no.1: Play with your baby
• One of the most important tips is to understand the significance of play to communication development. Play skills and communication skills develop hand in hand. Play is one of the most influential ways that a child learns about the world and it has often been described as the child’s “work”. By playing with both adults and children, children develop Interaction and social skills, problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, concepts and properties and lots and lots of words!
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Developing a visually impaired child's play skills |
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Written by Sarah Ross, Occupational Therapist at Sensational Kids
Play Skills
Play develops a child’s skills, such as, their gross motor, fine motor, perceptual, and sensory skills. Play for a visually impaired child, and developing their skills is very similar to how we play and develop a child without a visual impairment.
Baby’s and Toddlers with a Visual Impairment
For babies and toddlers with a visual impairment allow them to explore the rugs and the legs of the furniture. But also offer the child fuzzy toys, and toys with other interesting textures and shapes. If some of their playthings make sounds, they provide an important bonus.
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Recuperating at home - what to do when your child is house-bound
What happens if your child is laid up with a broken leg or a contagious illness that prevents him from leaving the house? Occupational therapist Margot Barry offers some tips
It happens to every parent at some stage or the other that their child is recovering from illness or injury at home. More common illnesses such as flus and colds do not normally come as a big surprise; however, having a child at home for a longer period of time, for instance with a leg or an arm in a cast, can be a little out of the ordinary.
A child's ability to engage in self-care tasks that he or she has already mastered can be compromised and for a little while they might be more dependent on you than before the injury.
There are some small changes that can be made to the home environment and to tasks to maintain as much safety and independence as possible. Because the illness/ injury is normally transient, changes should not be excessive and permanent but rather small and reversible.
CHILD ON CRUTCHES
Some conditions require a child to use crutches temporarily, such as in the case of a broken leg. Using crutches to walk means that the child has a wider base of support and needs a little more space to move around the house.
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Preventing Winter Accidents |
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The most obvious winter accidents include slips and falls on ice and snow. But it is important to remember that even when it is raining here in Ireland, the footpaths can be extremely slippery and slips and falls can happen easily even when there is no ice or snow.
Indoor wet floors have the potential for falls also. There are many activities that we tend to engage in during winter, especially if there is snow. Ice- covered lakes, ponds and rivers look so inviting to skate on but again are very dangerous.
Children or adults should never go onto these as it is not possible to gauge the thickness of the ice and there is a constant risk of the ice cracking. Do not allow children to follow dogs or family pets that may wander onto ice.
Snow and ice bring out the child in all of us, including in children themselves. Activities such as tobogganing and skating on ice are very tempting but leave potential for accidents.
Within the home there are often cables and flexes trailing on the floor with the additional Christmas lights and heaters that are in use. These can cause trips and falls.
Open fires can be delightful to look at but have the potential to be very dangerous ( especially for young children) if they are not supervised. ensure that children do not stand too close to the fire in case their clothes catch fire.
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