Infant development evaluations are meant to help psychologists develop an assessment of childhood growth and development and to alert them to possible growth problems that might arise. An average is attained when 50, 75, or 95% of children have come to a milestone. An average percentage is then determined based on the performance of these children. Children who do not achieve these milestones within the average time are then evaluated more closely in order to help them cope with their lives and schoolwork more easily. These evaluations are therefore meant to help children who seem to be slower in their development.
Gross motor skills begin to develop by 1 month of age, when an infant can lift its head from a prone position. At three months, the infant can use its arms for support to hold its chest up. At 3-4 months an infant can role over, and by 4-5 months the child can support weight with his or her legs. When an infant reaches 6 months, he or she can sit. This develops to crawling and standing within 7-8 months. By 10 to 11 an infant begins to walk, improving these skills by 12-13 months. There is no control of fine motor skills at birth. Arm, hand and finger movements become increasingly refined over the first two years of life.
In terms of neurological development, delays in motor skill acquisition may be indicators of disorders such as mental retardation or ADHD. Factors considered when looking for such disorders include biological and environmental risk. These are risks investigated at birth (biological) and in the home environment. Biological risk is mostly environmental and cannot be remedied. Environmental risk includes elements such as the way in which an infant receives maternal and family care, health care and nutrition. Future opportunities for such a child are also at risk. Established risk occurs when a disorder is present at birth or has a high probability of occurring in later childhood life.
