Typical Development
Typical development is when a behavior or skill is learned in the order and timing that the behavior and skills is expected to be acquired. This is healthy development. There are different milestones for different times in a child's development. For example: a typically developing child will be able to sit around the age of six-months old. Keeping track of developmental milestones is important to helping a child stay on track.
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Delayed Development
Delay means that the growth in the child is typical but is occurring slower than the average child. The child is meeting their developmental milestones later. For example: a child might start talking later, or clapping later. The child is still learning these behaviors, the behaviors and skills are just happening at a later time than expected.
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Atypical Development
A typical is a sign of a disorder. This happens when a child is meeting developmental milestones out of order or when there is a lack of growth in a developmental milestone. For example: this is the child that can recite the alphabet at two years old but doesn't make eye contact with people. It can also include behaviors that are not seen in typically developing children such as extreme separation anxiety, or hand flapping. A typical development can be a sign of a disorder.
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