Review Question - QID 105419

At one year of age, a child's expressive language skills should include use of at least one word, use of jargon, and repeating sounds to gain attention. As this child only exhibits non-specific babbling, he demonstrates a mild delay in expressive language skills.

Language delay is a commonly diagnosed developmental delay, with 10 to 15 percent of 2-year-old children receiving the diagnosis. This prevalence decreases during the pre-school years, with only 6 to 8 percent of school children exhibiting a language impairment. Common risk factors for language delay include male sex, poverty, family history of language delays, maternal depression, low birth weight, prematurity, and low parental education. Children with identified developmental delays can be referred to early intervention programs to address any concerns.

Mackrides and Ryherd discuss screening for language developmental delay. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) indicates there is insufficient evidence to recommend regular use of screening tools to detect language delay in children under five years old. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends surveillance at all well-child visits and using screening tools specifically at 9, 18, and 30 months of age. It is important for developmental delays to be detected early in order for early intervention programs to be effective.

Anderson et al. discuss the effectiveness of early childhood development programs. A review of the evidence revealed that early development programs prevent cognitive development delay and increase learning readiness. Increased learning readiness was measured by reduction in both grade repetition and entrance into special education classes. Improvements were also seen in standardized test scores.

Illustration A describes the appropriate developmental milestone achievements for a 1-year-old from the CDC.

Incorrect Answers:
Answer 1: At 1-year-of-age, a child should triple his birth-weight and increase his height by 50%. Given these parameters, this child's growth in appropriate.
Answer 3: At 1-year-of-age, gross motor milestones include pulling to stand, walking while using furniture for support, and potentially taking a few unassisted steps. This child has no gross motor skill delay given his ability to walk unaccompanied.
Answer 4: At 1-year-of-age, fine motor milestones include using a pincer grasp, banging objects together, and placing objects in a container. This child has no fine motor skill delay given his ability to pincer grasp.
Answer 5: This child has an expressive language delay.