Physical, Language, Development

Overview
Physical, language and cognitive development in infancy and toddlerhood.

Cognitive

Atypical Development
Infants and toddlers all develop differently and on their own time, but there are times when the delays would be atypical. If we look at a six month old some atypical development at this point would be visually interested in objects but unable to reach and grasp (Pathways.org, n.d.). Another example would be the infant failing to initiate or sustain active weight bearing when placed in supported standing (Pathways.org, n.d.). For a toddler they should be holding a bottle on their own without lying down, use furniture to support their selves while walking, and feed their selves by grasping small objects.

Development
Physical: Body growth: Physical growth occurs rapidly during the first 2 years of life (No Author, n.d.). The transition from infancy to toddlerhood-the period that spans the second year of life-is marked by the infants switch from crawling to walking (No Author, n.d.). Changes in body size: Body grows more rapidly in the first 2 years (No Author, n.d.). Changes in Muscle-Fat Makeup: Body fat, which helps the infant maintain a constant body temperature, increases after birth and peaks around 9 months of age (No Author, n.d.). Toddlers become more slender, a trend that continues into middle childhood (No Author, n.d.). Girls have a higher ratio of fat to muscle than boys (No Author, n.d.).

Language: As language development starts way before the baby is born, as an infant it will begin to develop into what we call cooing. It will last about three to nine months, as babies begin to make vowel sound such as oooooo and aaaaaa (Cherry, 2014). By five months, infants typically begin to babble and add consonant sounds to their sounds such as ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma or da-da-da (Cherry, 2014). Single words start at around 10 to 13 months; they begin to produce their first real words (Cherry, 2014). Infants begin to comprehend language about twice as fast as they are

Physical, Language, Cognitive Development

able to produce it (Cherry, 2014). Around 18 months children will begin using two words sentences and around 2 years of age children will produce short, multi-word sentences (Cherry, 2014). Cognitive: Every day while they interact with and learn about their environment they are creating new connections and pathways between nerve cells both within their brains, and between their brains and bodies (Oswalt, 2007). According to Piaget, newborns interact with their environment entirely through reflexive behaviors (Oswalt, 2007). Learning about their environment through their senses, they begin to engage in intentional, goal-directed behaviors (Oswalt, 2007). First sub-stage, birth to approximately 1 month (Oswalt, 2007). They engage in reflexive actions (Oswalt, 2007). Second sub-stage 1 to 4 months, intentionally repeat actions that bring them pleasure and desired outcome (Oswalt, 2007). 12 to 18 months, toddlers enter the tertiary (third) circular reactions substage (Oswalt, 2007). Toddlers continue to explore their environment and create experiments to see how things work (Oswalt, 2007). 18 to 24 months, toddlers enter the beginning of the representational thought sub-stage (Oswalt, 2007). Begin to be symbol-oriented, which means that they create a general image of things in their minds and retain them as examples of some objects (Oswalt, 2007).

Strategies
To help your child along through development during infancy to toddlerhood, it is important to stimulate their minds. Speak and read to your infant to help them develop a better understanding of language. Give your infant tummy time to help them strength muscles, which will help them work toward crawling and then begin to walk. For you toddler make sure you are helping develop their fine and gross motor, you can do this by giving them paper and art supplies. Finger paints are a great way for children to get mess and learn all at the same time. For their gross motor skills roll a ball to your child and see what they do with it. Do they roll it back, try to kick it or pick it up and throw it back to you. All of which should be taking place at this developmental stage. As with the infant you should still read to them and speak with them to help continue to develop their language skills. As they get older it is important to read books that will in somewhat challenge their brains and develop them even further. Singing to them also helps them gain better understanding the meaning of words.

Physical, Language, Cognitive Development

Physical, Language, Cognitive Development