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developmental stage:

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Concerns about learning

Early developmental concern

What is typical development? Early childhood educators in day care, as well as nursery and preschool programs, often get to witness children building new developmental skills. There are many ways of evaluating if children are developing typically and achieving their milestones. Some of the core...

Reading difficulties

What are typical reading expectations? As most teachers are already aware of, there are some reading expectations for children depending on their age range. Age range Expectation By age 3 Recite alphabet By age 3-4 Recognizing letters By age...

Math difficulties

What are typical expectations about mathematical skills? As most teachers are already aware of, the ability to deal with numbers is complex and builds on throughout the years. Typical mathematical skills include: Age range Expectation Between 5 and 6 years of...

Social communication difficulties

What is typical social communication? Even though every child is different, as most teachers are already aware of, there are typical skills that could be expected for children around certain ages. Age range Expectation Around 6 months of age Being able to...

Restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests

What are typical restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests? Infants are normally attached to favorite objects and engage in a number of repetitive rhythmic motor behaviors, like rocking and flapping. Young children show an insistence on certain toys, fairy tales and bedtime rituals....

Difficulties with bladder control

What is typical toileting behavior? Urinary accidents are common during the nursery and preschool years, as most children are toilet trained by about 3 years of age. Young children may have accidents during the school day, especially when they are toilet training and younger than 5 years of age....

Concerns about emotions

Excessive worries

What are typical worries? There are many different types of worries that children and adolescents may experience in school at different points in their lives. Worries are usually related to the challenges and experiences children and adolescents are going through at each developmental stage. Some...

Excessive fears

What are typical fears? Birth – 6 months Loud noises, loss of physical support, rapid position changes, rapidly approaching unfamiliar objects 7-12 months Strangers, looming objects, sudden confrontation by unexpected objects and unfamiliar people 1-5...

Excessive shyness

What is typical shyness? Being shy is not by any means a problem. In addition to those predispositions in temperament, many children at many ages experience shyness to some degree at one point or another. But children who are shy in a typical level gradually warm up to new situations over time....

Excessive fear of being apart from a caregiver

What is a typical separation fear? Nearly all children between 6 months and 3 years old get clingy and cry if their caregivers leave them, even for a short time. Young babies don't understand time, so they think a parent who walks out of the room is gone forever. Babies can become anxious and...

Persistent sadness

What is typical sadness? It’s typical for children and adolescents to feel down when bad or unexpected things happen—we all do. We then begin to feel better when things take a turn for the better. When students remain sad despite positive things happening to and around them, that is...

Ritualistic behaviors and repetitive movements

What are typical ritualistic behaviors? Children often like routines—they are safe, predictable, and comforting all at the same time. In School, teachers often establish routines throughout the day, which may include a routine for activities and a routine for clean up. Older students attend their...

Obsessive thoughts

What are typical obsessive thoughts? Most teachers and caregivers would agree that children or adolescents get stuck on things that they enjoy. At times, it may seem like the child or adolescent is always thinking about their favorite show, song, game, activity, or toy. For instance, a 3 year old...

Eating concerns

What is typical eating? Children and adolescents' temperament, organic conditions, developmental issues, environmental and parental factors determine typical eating habits in early childhood to a large extent. Some people eat three meals per day, others two or five. Children and adolescents love...

Body image concerns

What is a typical body image? Some children and nearly all adolescents worry about their physical appearance in some way. Body consciousness and its perception is significantly affected by physical changes that occur during adolescence, by peer relationships and acceptance, as well as by messages...

Persistent anger

What is typical anger? Children and adolescents get angry just like adults do–anger is normal. Typically, anger goes away in under 30 minutes. But when a child's anger is frequent (eg, temper tantrums many times a week), or lasts for long periods (eg, lasting many hours instead of minutes), it can...

Persistent distress after traumatic experiences

What is typical distress after traumatic events? It is expected for a child or adolescent to struggle and feel scared or upset after one, or multiple seriously frightening or upsetting events. It usually takes them a little while to recover and readjust after traumatic experiences. It is fairly...

Panic attacks

Are panic attacks typical? Even though our bodies have a natural alarm system that goes off when something is wrong to prepare us to handle emergency situations, having panic attacks is not typical. Usually, when children and adolescents experience panic attacks, their alarm goes off without a...

Concerns about behaviors

Rule breaking and aggression

What are typical rule breaking behaviors and aggression? It’s typical for students to break rules and even be aggressive towards their caregivers and peers at least some of the time. While younger students are pretty rule-driven, older students will occasionally break rules in school even though...

Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

What are typical levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity? Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are common in students younger than 6 years of age. As they get older, the demands placed on them gradually increase and if they remain inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive, they...

Alcohol and substance use

What is typical alcohol and substance use? None. There is no typical or acceptable alcohol or substance use during childhood or teenage years. Even though alcohol and other substances are illegal for minors and we would expect that they would abstain from use, children and teenagers are curious...

Self-injury

Is self-injury typical? No. There is no kind of typical self-injury behavior. However, in order to prevent it or deal with it when it happens, it is important to understand some things about it. Some children and adolescents say they injure themselves because it distracts them and alleviates...

Bullying

When does typical teasing become bullying? People tend to be aware that painful or embarrassing social experiences are part of the growing up process and that almost everyone has already been teased at least one time in their lives. Learning how to rebound from negative interactions is an...

Excessive screen use

What is a typical use of screens? Most of us have become somewhat reliant on their devices, and so using them has become quite typical. Young children are given screen time to watch educational shows and to play educational games; older kids and teens attend classes, complete homework assignments,...

I am not sure what I'm looking for

I worry about a student, but how do I know what is going on?

What is typical development? Growing up is not easy. All children will present with expected behaviors that cause distress and difficulties as part of typical development. Children have to learn a lot of things while growing up. They have to learn how to walk and talk, understand and deal with...

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