Having a baby, whether it’s your firstborn or an new addition to the family, can be both exciting and daunting all at the same time! You will no doubt be full of hopes and dreams for their future, and maybe a little unsure about what to expect.
So, let’s take a look at milestones.
Developmental milestones are skills and behaviours that babies, toddlers and children learn, and do, at different ages – like smiling, rolling over, crawling, taking their first steps, walking and talking.
It’s important to remember that every child is one-of-a-kind and your baby or toddler might reach their milestones slightly earlier or later than other kids their age, or their siblings before them.
Some babies and toddlers will have trouble reaching milestones such as:
- settling into routines around sleep and toileting
- moving around
- learning to do things for themselves, like holding a Sippy cup or cutlery
- getting their message across by pointing or trying to talk
- learning social skills like waiting and sharing.
If you’re worried about your baby or toddler, or you think they’re not reaching their milestones, have a chat to a friendly Novita therapist for advice, or to organise an assessment, on 1300 NOVITA.
Assessment
If your baby or toddler is having trouble reaching their milestones, we can support them through something called early intervention.
Early intervention is a type of therapy we do with your child while they’re very young. Research shows this type of therapy can work really well to support babies, toddlers and young kids to learn and grow, particularly if they live with disability or developmental delay.
We can also support you and your child through our groups.
Groups are workshops and programs run by our therapists for your child. Each group has a purpose, for example to help your baby or toddler learn to communicate, or move around.
We have groups that run during school term as well as during the school holidays. They are open to Novita kids and anyone else in the community who wants to get involved.
It’s also a great way for you to socialise and meet other parents in a friendly environment.