Topic 1 Page 23 Preschool

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(Unit 8) Topic 1: The Whole Child

4 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Red Flags and Atypical Development

Topic 1 Page 23

Red flags are warning signs that development may be delayed or atypical. These red flags are noticed when children don’t meet milestones as expected. Each child’s development is unique and develops on a continuum. But if a child shows a pattern of not being able to do things that most other children are doing at the same age, it may indicate that further assessment is needed. Red flags are cause for action but not alarm! Children benefit most when caregivers can identify potential delays and signs of challenges as early as possible. Remember it is not your role to diagnose children but to refer them for further assessment and possible early intervention.

You spend your day working with, playing with, and watching children, and you are already familiar with many milestones – such as pointing at objects, smiling, and playing with others – that mark a child’s development. All children are unique, but sooner or later, you will see a child who is not developing as they should.

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). Early recognition of developmental disabilities, such as autism, is key for parents and providers. CDC realized the impact on families and invested in a campaign to help parents measure their children's progress by monitoring how they play, learn, speak and act.