Most Valuable Take Away

[Julie Palmieri]

What was your most valuable takeaway from this week’s content?

[Christine Wick]

My valuable take away was the idea that each developmental stage is representative of how that child is exploring and making sense of their world at that time. Knowing different milestones is key to understanding a child’s overall experience of their surroundings and what that means for us as we offer support. Understanding the different developmental stages can help us make a more meaningful connection by tapping into how a child is already naturally engaging with their environment so we can build from those strengths.

[Leslie Aldrich]

Yes! It was a good reminder how important it is to have our interventions founded in these stages. So cool.

[Katelyn Caruso]

My most valuable takeaway from this week’s information was understanding how important sensory experiences are for a developing child. It made me think about how when a child is young, we focus on offering them new experiences and sensory stimulation, but as adults sensory input or experiences are something that we don’t take into consideration as often. It was also helpful to understand how some of the tricky parts about caregiving (tantrums, throwing toys, etc.) are developmentally appropriate at some stages and made the think about finding tools as music therapists to support the entire family as they are all experiencing these moments together.

[Leslie Aldrich]

Good point, I thought about that too when thinking about behaviors we see in children and why they might be occurring based on their developmental stage. Kind of makes it easier to be patient in my mind!

[Leslie Aldrich]

Good point, I thought about that too when thinking about behaviors we see in children and why they might be occurring based on their developmental stage. Kind of makes it easier to be patient in my mind!

[Erika (TeamRH)]

Thank you for sharing your takeaways. I enjoyed reading your responses.

[Leslie Aldrich]

The most valuable takeaway this week for me was just how quickly and on such a massive level that children grow and learn. I don’t have children of my own yet, so I haven’t been able to personally watch a child grow. It was such a fun review from learning all of this in undergrad; the theories of development especially. My sister just had her first baby in February, so I am so excited to watch her grow and compare these different milestones as she develops.

[Katelyn Caruso]

I agree! It is amazing how much a child can grow and change in a number of months. I have a niece who is 4, and it was fun to look back and remember what she was like at each stage. Every time I see her she can do something new, and it was helpful to have her to think about as I learned about all the early stages of development.

[Leslie Aldrich]

My other niece is 3, and I agree! Really cool to think about them as they were growing.

[Melissa Neitzel]

The takeaway I found most valuable was that we can reassure parents that “this is developmentally appropriate”. I know personallyI am often concerned about what my child may be doing- especially in relation to sharing or if they put something in their mouth. I’ve also had friends apologize for their child’s developmentally appropriate behavior. Supporting parents and saying, “actually, this is what is supposed to be happening” can be so reassuring and put the parent at ease.

[Katelyn Caruso]

Absolutely! Understanding where a kid is developmentally can take the pressure off trying to change the behavior, especially if parents understand that is what their child needs to be doing to learn and grow.

[Leslie Aldrich]

Absolutely. I think it will really make any classes or groups feel more science-based too so parents know you know your stuff when kids are having specific behaviors.

[Kimberly Werner]

The most valuable takeaway for me from this module was that it was a great refresher for what is developmentally appropriate at various ages. I currently work in an acute hospital setting, but have some kids that are (seemingly forever) awaiting long-term placement. The CAT & Child Life team do our best to support achieving these expected milestones, but a lot of our work is also often focused on preserving what has already been achieved. Because my patients are often so heavily medicalized, this was a great opportunity for me to revisit what “can/may be expected” to kids existing outside of a medical setting.

[Leslie Aldrich]

This is a really good point. When I was in the hospital, the kiddos I worked with were dealing with such different things than “typical” kids. Still really good to know, but it is an interested comparison.

[Maggie Johnson]

I loved hearing about the meaning-making the children are experiencing in these stages and being encouraged to see the world from their eyes. e.g. transition to head upright, language, perspective taking, imaginative play. Most of my experience with babies and children in these stages and particularly seeing them through all the stages has been, well, my own (ha!), as well as family and friend’s children. It’s fun to think back to these memories and contextualize them within this framework. I also see specific developmental similarities outlined this week in my developmentally disabled adult clients, though it’s important to emphasize that they have their whole lifetime of experiences, relationships, communities, and understanding of the self and their world beyond childhood that deserves to be honored and respected. I see the value of a shared language of a framework, and how having the checklist can help one design and advocate for developmentally appropriate experiences.

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