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Developmental milestones in toddlers with atypical development

Max Horovitz1, Johnny L Matson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|August 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with seizure disorders reached motor milestones like crawling and walking earlier than those with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. First words were spoken at similar ages across all developmental disability groups studied.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Developmental milestones are crucial indicators of healthy child development.
  • Infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities often exhibit varied attainment patterns.
  • Understanding these differences informs early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the attainment of key developmental milestones in infants and toddlers with specific developmental disabilities.
  • To identify differences in motor and language development across diagnostic groups.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of developmental milestone attainment in 162 infants and toddlers.
  • Study groups included Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Global Developmental Delay, Premature birth, and Seizure Disorder.
  • Data collected on age of onset for crawling, walking, and first words.

Main Results:

  • Toddlers with Seizure Disorder crawled and walked significantly earlier than those with Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
  • Toddlers with Seizure Disorder and Premature birth walked earlier than those with Down Syndrome.
  • No significant differences were observed in the age of first words spoken across groups.

Conclusions:

  • Motor development, specifically crawling and walking, varies significantly among different developmental disabilities.
  • Seizure Disorder and Prematurity may be associated with earlier motor milestone achievement compared to certain genetic or congenital conditions.
  • Language development, as indicated by first words, appears less differentiated across these specific developmental disabilities in early childhood.

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