Child development is based on genetic and environmental factors, beginning from birth to adulthood. Age is listed in stages chronologically and certain milestones are addressed with each stage, such as infancy (0 to 1 month) focuses on sensory perception and the beginning of facial recognition.
Helene Goldnadel believes that environment can play an important role during the early stages of your child’s development and focusing early on their learning of the world around them will be beneficial to their future. Also, if your child is having any difficulty with their development, it will be noticeable and you should consult your doctor with any fears and questions that may arise. Early signs of developmental disorders such as Asperger and Autism can be detected during this time.
Your child is a collection of genetics. And during his or her development these genes will be going under various changes on the cellular level. Overall growth is under review here, the proportion of the body to the brain parts will be altering, and maturation of vision and dietary needs will play a key role.
All of this will affect how your child perceives the environment surrounding them and how they react to these cues will determine the next steps in their development. Being exposed to different environs as your child moves through the infancy to toddler stages and then on to school age and adolescent will help them to build healthy immune systems through diet and disease exposure as well as preparing them for social interaction and mature thought processes as they go through a variety of emotional and cognitive experiences.
According to Helene Goldnadel a child’s development is not solely determined on the environment of course, and there are times when no matter how a child is raised, certain developments will occur that were not considered. This comes in most strongly with those children experience developmental delays or suffering from some type of disorder. However, it can occur in children of all ages.
No matter the genetics, no matter the environs subjected to the child, everyone is different and for one reason or another will respond differently to the world around them and develop at their own pace. For example, if your infant or toddler is slow in one of the developmental stages that do not necessarily mean there is something wrong with them. They could be slow in this stage and yet develop rapidly in another. Simply keep a watch on how they are responding to the world around them and if they are severely delayed in any one or more stage talk to you doctor.
Parents need to do the best that they can and helping their children learn throughout each developmental stage and should provide as much access as possible to stimulating learning tools and toys. However, responsibility does not fall solely on the parent(s) alone. A child simply needs the building blocks to utilize as they reach each stage and the guidance to get them through it. As for the rest, and succeeding at each milestone, this is up to the child themselves and how they react to the world.