developmental stage
Meaning of developmental stage: A developmental stage is a recognizable period of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social change that a child moves through while growing toward adulthood.
Definition of developmental stage
A developmental stage refers to a recognizable period in a child's growth marked by characteristic physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Development is generally understood to progress through a series of such stages, each building on skills and changes established during the stage before it.
Physical development during a given stage might include growth in height and changes in motor coordination, while cognitive development involves changes in thinking, language, and problem solving ability. Emotional and social development includes growing capacity for self regulation, forming relationships, and understanding one's own identity in relation to others.
Because children progress through developmental stages at somewhat different rates, evaluating a child's development typically considers the overall pattern of skills across these different areas rather than any single milestone in isolation, and clinicians use this broader pattern to help identify a child whose development may benefit from closer attention.
Used in a sentence
The pediatrician assessed the child's progress across several developmental stages during the routine visit.
Good to know
A delay in one area of development, such as language, does not necessarily indicate a broader developmental problem, since physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains do not always progress at exactly the same rate.