Understanding Developmental Milestones and Monitoring Child Development

The term developmental milestone is generally understood as a marker for how an infant or young child is growing and developing. Parents
and other caregivers of very young children, and the professionals who commonly have relationships with them—such as pediatricians, early childhood educators, and home visitors—may identify emerging concerns when developmental milestones are not observed at the expected age. However, there is a wide range of individual variation in each child’s development. Exploring the child and family’s social and cultural context is essential to understanding a child’s behavior and functioning, parenting practices, and systems of belief and values—all of which have an impact on child development and early relationships. Partnering with families to identify emerging concerns, along with recognizing family strengths and resources, provides the best opportunity for successful early intervention.