Raising a young child is an exciting, and stressful, time for parents. From toddler-proofing your home to deciding if mommy-and-me classes are right for you, there’s no shortage of things to worry about. Luckily, First Words Project, a non-profit focused on conducting research on and providing screening tools for the early detection of speech delays and disorders in young children, can make at least one aspect of child rearing that much easier. By making their resources online and completely free they aim to make screenings and educational materials more accessible for families.
Parents who are concerned about their child’s development, or who just want to learn a little more about what’s going on, can use the Social Communication Growth Chart to see what milestones their child should be experiencing in the first two years. Other important checklists for development, like the 16 gestures each child should know by 16 months, help you keep your child on the right track.
But what if your child isn’t exactly meeting each milestone on time? Early detection and intervention is vital when it comes to children with disabilities, but sometimes it can be hard to tell what’s the issue and what’s just too much worrying. If checking your child’s teeth for signs of autism spectrum disorder isn’t working, you can always screen your child online for this as well as other communication disorders. Either way, you can get a head-start on finding treatment and remediation options.
First Words Project can be reached at support@firstwordsproject.com or 866-526-8919. For more information, you can visit First Words Project’s website, or check out some of the many other websites on their resources page.
