Each child grows and gains skills at their own pace, but children usually move in a natural and predictable way from one milestone to the next. The Growth and development milestones look at five areas:
- Physical growth,
- Thinking and reasoning (cognitive development),
- Emotional and social development,
- Language development, and
- Sensory and motor development.
A child may be advanced in one area, but behind in another. If your child keeps missing milestones or reaches a milestone but then loses that new ability, they may need extra support from a doctor or specialized programming.
The My Health Alberta and Healthy Parents Healthy Children websites outline growth and developmental milestones by age.
If you think that your child or a child in your care may require a developmental diagnosis, the typical pathway for assessment is:
Search our database under “Early Development” to find organizations that conduct the Ages and Stages Questionnaire or to find services that support children with a diagnosis.