Hannah and her global developmental delays at 12 months

When I’m with Hannah, and there aren’t other kids around (which is often), I forget or cast aside the fact that she has global developmental delays.  She’s just Hannah.

But then I see her around other children, like at her birthday party, and I can see how delayed she really is and in so many different areas…physically, adaptive behavior, communication, cognition, etc.  It gets hard to see sometimes.

I came across this checklist from the CDC called “Important Milestones by the end of the first year (12 months).”  I put the ones that are a definite “yes” in gray, but the ones that are a “no” or “not yet” I left in black.  There is too much black, which breaks my heart when you see it all at once.

Social and Emotional

• Shy or anxious with strangers – yes
• Cries when mother or father leaves – yes
• Enjoys imitating people in his play – no
• Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys – yes
• Tests parental responses to his actions during feedings – no
• Tests parental responses to his behavior – no
• May be fearful in some situations – yes
• Prefers mother and/or regular caregiver over all others – yes
• Repeats sounds or gestures for attention – not really
• Finger-feeds himself – probably could, but with her sensory issues she doesn’t actually eat it
• Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed – yes

Cognitive

• Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping) – shaking and banging
• Finds hidden objects easily – no
• Looks at correct picture when the image is named – no
• Imitates gestures – no
• Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver)  – no

Language
• Pays increasing attention to speech – no
• Responds to simple verbal requests – no, except for “uppies” (meaning to be lifted up)
• Responds to “no” – no
• Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no” – no
• Babbles with inflection (changes in tone) – no, but she does babble a lot!
• Says “dada” and “mama” – no
• Uses exclamations, such as “Oh-oh!” – no
• Tries to imitate words – no

Movement

• Reaches sitting position without assistance – no
• Crawls forward on belly – just now working on the commando crawl
• Assumes hands-and-knees position – starting to get there, difficult with her hypotonia and loose knee ligaments
• Creeps on hands and knees – working on it
• Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position – yes, but not gracefully (kinda falls down)
• Pulls self up to stand – only when seated in a certain position
• Walks holding on to furniture – no
• Stands momentarily without support – no
• May walk two or three steps without support – no

Hand and Finger Skills

• Uses pincer grasp – just starting
• Bangs two objects together – yes
• Puts objects into container – no
• Takes objects out of container – yes
• Lets objects go voluntarily – yes
• Pokes with index finger – yes
• Tries to imitate scribbling – no
  
  Developmental Health Watch (Hannah’s listed below):
• Does not crawl
• Does not search for objects that are hidden while he or she watches
• Says no single words (“mama” or “dada”)
• Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
• Does not point to objects or pictures