RT Book, Section A1 Reynolds, Ann A1 Angulo, Abigail A1 Breheney, Meghan A1 Green, Jillian A1 Goldson, Edward A2 Bunik, Maya A2 Hay, William W. A2 Levin, Myron J. A2 Abzug, Mark J. SR Print(0) ID 1190357768 T1 Child Development & Behavior T2 Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics, 26e YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781264269983 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1190357768 RD 2024/10/11 AB This chapter provides an overview of typical development, identifies developmental variations, and discusses several developmental disorders. The chapter does not cover typical development in the newborn period or adolescence (see Chapters 2 and 4, respectively). It addresses behavioral variations that reflect the spectrum of normal development, along with developmental and behavioral disorders and their treatment. The developmental principle of ongoing change and maturation is integral to the daily practice of pediatrics. It is the basic science of pediatrics. For example, we recognize that a 3-month-old infant is very different from a 3-year-old toddler or a 13-year-old adolescent, not only with respect to what the child can do but also in terms of the kinds of illness he or she might have. From the perspective of the general pediatrician, all these areas should be viewed in the context of a “medical home.” The medical home is defined as the setting that provides consistent, continuous, culturally competent, comprehensive, and sensitive care to children and their families. It is a setting that advocates for all children, whether they are typical or have developmental challenges or disabilities. By incorporating the principles of child development—the concept that children are constantly changing—the medical home is the optimum setting to understand and enhance typical development and to address variations, delays, and deviations as they may occur in the life trajectory of the child and the family.