Understanding developmental delay Developmental delay describes a significant lag in one or more expected developmental domains compared with children of a similar age. These domains usually include gross motor skills, fine motor skills, speech and language, cognition, social-emotional development, and…

Understanding speech, language, and normal variation Speech development is often used as a broad phrase, but clinicians usually distinguish several related domains. Speech refers to the motor production of sounds: articulation, voice, fluency, and the coordination of breathing, lips, tongue,…

What social development means in the teen years Social development in teens refers to the expanding capacity to understand other people, manage relationships, build identity, negotiate independence, and participate in increasingly complex social environments. It includes visible skills, such as…

What motor skills include Motor skills are voluntary movement abilities that emerge as the central nervous system matures and the child gains strength, balance, sensory feedback, and practice. They are usually described in two overlapping categories: gross motor and fine…

Understanding physical development as a developmental continuum Physical development refers to the maturation of the body and nervous system that allows a child to control posture, move through space, use the hands, and participate in daily activities. It includes gross…

What cognitive development means in adolescence Cognitive development in teenagers refers to the maturation of thinking skills, including attention, memory, reasoning, planning, judgment, language, social understanding, and the ability to reflect on one’s own thoughts. It is not simply about…

What puberty is and why it starts Puberty begins when the brain increases pulsatile release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, often called GnRH. GnRH signals the pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, abbreviated LH and FSH. These hormones stimulate…

Understanding adolescent development from 13 to 18 The teenage years are often divided into early adolescence, middle adolescence, and late adolescence. Ages 13 to 14 usually fall within early adolescence, ages 15 to 16 within middle adolescence, and ages 17…

Why the preteen social world changes Preteens, commonly spanning about ages 9 to 12 and overlapping with early adolescence, are moving from a family-centered social world toward a peer-centered one. This does not mean family becomes unimportant. Rather, friendships begin…

What early puberty means clinically Puberty is the coordinated maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, adrenal androgen production, skeletal growth, and secondary sexual characteristics. In clinical practice, true precocious puberty is generally defined as the onset of pubertal signs before age…