Parents

Introduction to Child Development

Adolescence is a time of major change in a person’s life. During this period there are several drastic changes in the areas of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth. In order to fully understand this group of individuals, the changes that they are experiencing need to be understood first.

In late elementary and middle school your child experiences a period of tremendous intellectual, social-emotional, and physical change. School demands increase, friends become as important as family, and puberty begins to reshape her body. This is also a time when individual differences among children become more apparent.

From birth to three months children begin to smile, track people and objects with eyes, prefer faces and bright colors, reach, discover hands and feet, lift head and turn toward sound, and cry, but are often soothed when held.

Children with Special Needs

Making child care arrangements is a very personal decision for parents. It is one of the most important decisions a parent can make since the care children receive affects their future development. There are three basic types of child care: child care centers, child care homes, and child care in your own home.