Growth and development are fundamental areas of concern for parents and pediatricians alike. Growth can be measured in a concrete way on a growth chart, but development is  not always so easy to measure. Development in all areas (gross motor, fine motor, language, social, and emotional realms) occurs along a continuum and all children achieve their various developmental milestones at different ages. Even though all children develop at different rates, there are certain key milestones that we use to track your child’s development. Please visit the first three years page and review the various age appropriate hand-outs for some specific milestones to look for.

The CDC also has a website with some developmental milestones guidelines ( http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html ). Please remember that these are only guidelines and you should contact us with any concerns about your child’s development.

Whenever you have a concern about your child’s development, we encourage you to discuss your concerns with us.  We can address your concerns at your child’s next check-up or at a separate appointment that addresses your developmental questions.

Children from 0-3 years of age who are at risk of a developmental delay or disorder are routinely referred to Early Intervention by their physicians, although anyone may make a referral (parents, teachers, or other caregivers). If a child qualifies, he or she may receive a range of services at no (or low) cost to the family. Early Intervention is designed to improve outcomes for children with disabilities by providing early, appropriate, and intensive interventions.

Children from ages 3-22 years who need services will receive them through their local school system as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If a child was already enrolled in Early Intervention and needs continued services after age 3 years, then the next step is to engage the local public school system and request an Individual Education Plan (IEP). If you have any questions about this process, please contact us and we can offer some help.

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities has a nice website that explains how and what Early Intervention is ( http://www.nichcy.org/babies/overview/Pages/default.aspx ). They also have another page that explains how to engage the school system, what an IEP entails, and how to advicate for your child ( http://www.nichcy.org/EDUCATECHILDREN/Pages/Default.aspx ).

Here is a link to the Massachussetts Early Intervention website ( http://www.mass.gov/dph/earlyintervention )

Mass Family Ties ( http://massfamilyties.org/ei/eicity.php ) is a great resource with all of the contact information for your local Early Intervention provider.

If we are concerned about the possibility of a developmental disorder, we typically refer our patients to the Division of Developmental Medicine  ( http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/) at Children’s Hospital. Please feel free to visit their website where you might find some helpful information on various developmental disabilities.