We believe that a child begins to learn when he learns on the first day of school or leaves the house for the first time. But in reality, when a child is in the womb, it starts learning from then on. After giving birth, she learns something every day. Even when a child starts talking to someone, he learns something new. Research on child psychology shows that about 85% of the learning brain is developed before a child is 5 years old. Most of this happens in the first 1-2 years. If your child is unable to demonstrate the process of development over time, it means that he is suffering from developmental delay. Parents should diagnose it in time. If left undiagnosed and undiagnosed, the child can also suffer from many psychological problems.
Social and emotional communication is most important for children
A child’s development follows a predictable path. According to American psychologist and pediatrician Arnold Geisel, development is a systematic, timely and sequenced process. Development continues regularly. Therefore it can also be concluded.
The development of a child under the age of 5 can be divided into 5 main areas. Physical, adaptive, cognitive, social-emotional and communicative. They are all interconnected. No region can develop in isolation. The most important thing for children’s development is their mutual communication. This allows them to develop, as the child grows each day.
The corona epidemic affected children the most (Covid Pandemic Effect)
The children’s necessary communication was not possible during the corona epidemic. Because of this, most of the children of that time did not have the necessary development according to their age. Due to the fear of the corona pandemic, parents or guardians were not able to reasonably deal with children. Its lack is also visible in their knowledge of the language.
Rhode Island Hospital and the non-profit organization LENA conducted a study on children. Researchers have started this since 2010 itself. Study shows babies born during Covid may be less vocal. He could not express his opinion before the people in a less good way. In fact, they could not meet or mix with people. It is important for language development.
Experts say they will need a lot of help in school and elsewhere as they grow up. The study also found that children took longer on cognitive assessments than before the pandemic. During one year of the epidemic, children aged 3 months to 3 years had the lowest average cognitive abilities.
Cause of developmental delay
Developmental retardation in children occurs when the child progresses slowly for his age. Developmental delays affect children’s behavior, play and academic skills. If any kind of disability is seen in children, then it is due to developmental delay.
For children’s fitness, it should be recognized at an early age. According to research, 33% of children worldwide suffer from developmental delays before starting school. This number has increased significantly since COVID-19. This number increases when developmental delays are discovered much later or when parents ignore the problem.
World Health Organization statistics
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 5% of the world’s children under the age of 14 suffered from a disability related to developmental delay. Most of them could have been prevented or managed. If they had found out earlier in time.
Lack of awareness is responsible
Available reports from various early intervention centers suggest that it takes about 2 years for a child with developmental delay to reach an intervention clinic. There are many reasons for this. This problem is exacerbated by the unavailability of trained professionals or parents who do not have access to an intervention center. In addition, there may be a lack of awareness among parents.
Developmental delay causes many problems
Researcher Michael Chevel (2015) found that if developmental delay is detected late, it causes learning difficulties in the child.
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They have behavioral problems. There is strong research evidence to suggest that early detection of developmental delays can positively benefit the child. Researchers Atanasio O and Richter L (2020) found that proper early child development improves a child’s academic achievement and life.
Stigma for the family
Stunting and the resulting disability not only affects the child, but is also a stigma for the family. In some cases, it also adds to the stress and financial strain on the family. This is why the elderly in the family also have mental health problems. For this, it is necessary for parents to try to recognize the delay in the child’s development at an early age and try to take him to a specialist.
