Growth & Development: Late Bloomers Kim Jenkins

What is a “late bloomer”? a child or adolescent who develops more slowly than others in their age group, but eventually catches up. OR a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. This may apply to skill areas such as, language, reading, physical ability or social interaction. This applies to young children from birth until adolescence and in some cases, applies to adults. Some examples of late bloomers during infancy are- sitting up, crawling, walking, talking, etc. Some examples of late bloomers at the kindergarten stage- reading, writing, drawing, running, etc.

Details: Parents v. Children What parents need to know and what children need to know about “late bloomers” are totally opposite. Parents need to learn the facts, whereas children need to learn acceptance. As parents, you need to understand the effects of your child being a late bloomer. Parents need to be educated on the signs to look for to know if your child has a serious problem. As parents and educators, it is our job to teach children to treat their peers equally and be accepting of their differences. It is important to instill great values beginning now, at an early age, so that children may learn those values and continue to live them.

What Parents need to know: “Late Bloomer” can sometimes be used in the wrong context. If someone tells you your child is a “late bloomer”, don’t just accept it. Delays in developments of children may be caused by a disease. It never hurts to seek help in understanding your child’s abilities or disabilities! Sometimes the term “late bloomer” can be used to label a child who has proven to be difficult. Some people may feel as if a child is too much work to try to teach, so they label them as a late bloomer and leave them to learn and grow later than others. This is something that parents and teachers alike must look into! When a child is showing difficulty in progressing and lacks skills that are imperative to their age group, it could be a result of a learning disability or disease. There is nothing wrong with searching for help if you suspect a problem with your child. It may be that they are learning slower, or it could be a great issue. Either way, it never hurts to ask!

Research shows: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) is said to affect about 3-5% of children Dyslexia is said to affect 3-10% of children Autism affects about 1% of children Famous “late bloomers”- Albert Einstein Thomas Edison Pablo Picasso Studies have proven that not all delayed children are just late bloomers. In some cases, children may have physical impairments such as hearing or sight difficulties. In other cases, children may have a more severe handicap. Some statistics of handicaps that children may have are: Warning signs may be simple or complex, so it is important to be attentive to them. Einstein had speech difficulties and was labeled a late bloomer. He did not speak until age 4. Edison was noted to have wandered around and was labeled a late bloomer. He was known to have had some form of ADHD. Picasso was considered a slow child and was discovered to be dyslexic.

What children need to know: Children should understand that they all grow at their own pace. Children should know that they all have their own special ways of learning. Children should treat peers in an equal manner, despite their differences. Children should work together to help their peers learn and grow. What children need to know about late bloomers and children with learning difficulties is simple. Nothing. Children need to know that if one person can read a whole book and another child cannot read a whole sentence, that they are both working hard to learn at their own speed. Children should try to understand that not all of their friends learn the same way they do. They need to remember to treat others the way they want to be treated and not to be negative to those who are different. Parents and teachers should teach children to try to be a good friend and help those who need a hand.

Quick Tips: At home, monitor your child’s : Schedule a Conference Intellectual progress Social skills Physical abilities Schedule a Conference Maintain Normalcy Testing Seek Help These are some steps to take if you suspect your child is a “late bloomer” As a parent, take the time to observe. How they explain, explore and entertain. How they interact and play with others. How they look and move. If you are concerned, schedule a conference with your child’s teacher. Odds are, if she has observed some issues, she will want to share her findings with you. Keep a normal lifestyle and do not treat your child differently if you see some difficulties. It is important for you to treat the child equally as well. Seek testing from your child’s doctor to help you know what is going on. A professional opinion and diagnosis may be able to help you find the answers to your questions. Finally, seek help in getting treatment for your child. Not only medically, but also other ways such as treatment groups to help you learn how to deal with your child’s disablities.

References Alvidrez, Jennifer and Weinstein, Rhonda. “Early Teacher Perceptions and Later Student Academic Achievement”. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1999. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. http://www.se.rit.edu/~swami/LearningPapers/alvidrez1999TeacherPerceptions.pdf Wikipedia contributors. "Late bloomer." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_bloomer World Health Organiztion. “F84. Pervasive developmental disorders". International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th ed.) Web. Nov 5. 2011. http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en#/F90-F98