Every parent wants the best for their child. But while some are watching his growth and development and rejoice, others may begin to suspect that something is wrong with their child, that it is somehow different from their peers. Although in reality, if a child does not meet certain generally accepted standards, this does not mean that he is behind in development, explained psychotherapists Alexei Vilkov and Evgeny Fomin.
According to a psychiatrist, psychotherapist Alexei Vilkov, a child may lag behind in development due to several factors:
- heredity;
- malnutrition;
- external conditions (for example, family relationships).
At the same time, at first the child is able to differ from his peers, because their psyche and nervous system are very plastic.
“Existing developmental norms are of average value, so it is important not to panic and wait for the child to catch up with peers,” the psychiatrist said.
Developmental retardation can manifest itself in infantilism, insolvency, but this is different for everyone.
The development of the child can also be affected by the tension and increased anxiety of the parents, stressed the psychotherapist Yevgeny Fomin. In this case, the child begins to blame himself, consider himself bad, not like others.
“This creates stressful conditions for him and slows down his development even more, because anxiety always reduces the possibility of development,” the doctor explained.
However, you should not worry ahead of time – there is no clinical diagnosis yet. Each person develops at their own pace. If a child speaks well and has developed communication skills, then the inability to read, write or count will not indicate that he is behind in development. Fomin also recommended that the parents themselves relax, as their condition directly affects the child.
Another thing is speech delay. The speech therapist explained that it is not necessary to wait up to three years for the child to speak. It is better to immediately contact the specialized physicians if there is a problem.
