Children primarily move through learning, also called child development, in five areas: cognitive, social and emotional, speech and language, fine motor skill and gross motor skill, according to the website How Kids Develop. When they do not learn specific things at the appropriate time, this may indicate a delay in development. Some children experience developmental behavioral delays where medical and behavioral areas intersect, such as with Asperger syndrome, autism or hyperactivity disorders. Many warning signs of these delays exist.
Experience Sharing Problems
The National Network for Child Care website reveals that In the second year of life, a milestone of child develop involves developing language, social, thinking and sensory skills such as identifying objects in a book, looking at a person who is speaking to them and being able to comfort a friend or parent. When a child lags behind on these developmental behavioral milestones, it may be a warning sign of autism. Autistic children have trouble sharing experiences, according to MayoClinic.com. This may present as the child being uncomfortable with eye contact and touching, disinterest in pointing to pictures in books and a lack of awareness of others' feelings.
Attention Span Issues
At the age of 6 to 8, a child may be able to concentrate for periods of 15 to 20 minutes, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Their attention span should increase as they get older. In adolescence, a child with normal developmental behavior will have the ability to finish projects. When a child does not develop the ability to pay attention or has difficulty focusing, this may indicate a developmental behavioral delay. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reveals that children with ADHD find it difficult to follow instructions, finish chores and projects, or focus on details.
Language Delays
Throughout the developmental milestones in childhood, children learn new works and learn how to speak in short sentences, then longer sentences, according to the University of Michigan Health System. When language learning milestones are delayed, it can be a warning sign of a number of different developmental behavioral delays, including autism. It may also indicate a condition called selective mutism, in which children refuse to speak in at least one type of social setting. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association reveals that this selective mutism generally occurs before a child is 5-years-old.
