Being a caregiver is hard. You want your child to be healthy and do well. It’s normal to compare your child to others their age. You might wonder if everything is okay or if there’s a problem that needs help. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s wrong or what kind of help your child needs. If you feel this way, this guide is for you.
What is typical development?
Growing up isn’t easy. All children will have some behaviours that cause stress as part of normal growth. Kids have to learn a lot as they grow up:
- How to walk and talk
- How to understand and handle their feelings
- How to talk to and get along with others
- What behaviours are okay in different situations
With so much to learn, it’s normal for kids to have some trouble or delays in learning skills, dealing with tough feelings, and behaving well all the time.
When should I be concerned?
It’s not always easy to know when a behaviour is normal or not. But there are six things that can help you tell:
- Frequency. How often does it happen? Worrying sometimes is normal, but worrying all day, every day might be a problem.
- Intensity. How strong is the behaviour? Small tantrums are normal for young kids, but destroying things or hurting others is more serious.
- Duration. How long does it last? Being angry for a while is normal, but being angry for days might be a concern.
- Context. Why does it happen? A tantrum after stopping a fun activity is more normal than one that happens for no reason.
- Uncommon behaviours. Some behaviours are always concerning, like hurting oneself or seeing things that are not there.
- Impairment. How much does it affect daily life? Behaviours that make it hard to go to school, see friends, or enjoy life are more likely to be a problem.
What are concerns about children and adolescents?
Below is a list of common concerns about children and adolescents.
Concerns about children and teenagers usually fall into three main groups:
Behavioural Problems. These concerns can also start early or in teenage years and include not following rules or social norms, leading to inappropriate or rule-breaking behaviour. The guides in this package will cover all these problems in detail and provide more information and help when needed.
Learning Development. These concerns show up early and include problems learning skills like reading, writing, math, and communicating.
Emotional Problems. These concerns can start early or later, like in teenage years, and include intense fears, anxiety, sadness, or anger, often leading to avoiding fun activities.
The guides in this package will cover all these problems in detail and provide more information and help when needed.