Interview with Cathy Hyslop- an Early Childhood Developmental specialist from USA, Part I

Cathy Hyslop is an Early intervention consultant from the Oregon University, USA. A specialist with a valuable experience, working with autistic children and their families.

Cathy led a training for professionals and parents on “Good practices for working with children with Autism and their families,” internal Karin dom team’s qualifications, attended the sessions, shareed her ideas which we can try in the practice, supervised our therapeutic work.

Cathy, who was very  responsive and opened to share with Bulgarian parents some valuable ideas about the early childhood development, about the autism, the challenges in front of the parents and when they should look for consultation with a specialis.

Could you please describe the most significant signs and signals that parents should not miss in their child’s development?

Watching children learn and develop new skills is amazing. Each milestone can happen at different times for different children and still be considered within ‘normal limits’. In other words, just because your child isn’t talking yet and your friend’s child (who is the same age) is, doesn’t mean there is a problem. However, if your child continues to ‘miss’ milestones of development you should be concerned.  Important social skills like looking and smiling at you should develop by 6 months; vocalizing back and forth with you by 9 months, using gestures like pointing to show you something by 12 months and simple words by 16 months are examples of what to look for.

How soon after noticing the signals parents should consult with early development consultant?

Many parents in my program report to me that they had worries and concerns long before their pediatrician said anything to them. As a parent, if YOU notice that your child doesn’t seem to be bonding with you, isn’t responding to you attempts to interact, or doesn’t seem to be gaining skills like other children their age, please go to your pediatrician tell them you want a referral to an early developmental specialist right away!

What is the most appropriate child’s age to see the specialist?

It is a very good idea to complete developmental screenings on your child’s development every 6 months so you can catch possible delays in development immediately. Delays can show from birth so do not wait to seek out help! A developmental screening is something that parents can fill out based on their observations of their child and can usually be found by asking your pediatrician. It is important that parents fill them out accurately so the results reflect the child’s actual skills. The earlier you access support to help you work with your child to address the missing skills, the better!