Pediatricians oftentimes only have fifteen to twenty minutes with a child and family during a wellness visit. Most of that time would be used to ensure the medical health of the child. It is imperative that time also be spent on ascertaining information regarding the social, emotional, and behavioral development of the child. I always recommend that parents bring with them a list of questions that they have regarding their child’s development.
Questions to Ask Your Pediatrician About Your Child’s Development:
- Ask the doctor questions about his or her language development. Is the child meeting necessary developmental milestones with regard to his or her speech and language? Are there any concerns that might be addressed through speech and language therapy?
- Ask questions regarding the child’s motor development. How are the gross and fine motor skills developing? Would occupational therapy or physical therapy be worthwhile to help further develop any skills that are lacking?
- Ask questions regarding the social development. How engaged is the child with peers? Does he or she actively seek others out for social interaction and engagement? How successful are the social interactions? If the child is struggling with this domain, he or she might benefit from working with a social worker or behaviorist to help develop strategies to improve socialization.
If there are any significant concerns that you as a parent have regarding your child’s development, I always recommend to do an evaluation. It may be developmental and with time, the behavior of concern may improve. However, if the behavior of concern stems from an underlying disability or disorder, the earlier the intervention the better for long term success. Click here to contact our Neuropsychology Diagnostic and Testing Center.
