Question

Difficulty: MediumDevelopmental Stages and Transitions

A practical nurse is reviewing health questionnaires at a family practice clinic. The parents of an 18-month-old child describe their child's current abilities at home. Which reported activities indicate that the child is demonstrating expected developmental milestones for this age? (Select all that apply)

  1. Throws a small ball overhand without losing balance.Answer
  2. Turns the pages of a cardboard book, multiple pages at a time.Answer
  3. C
    Jumps vertically with both feet leaving the floor simultaneously.
  4. Uses a spoon to feed themselves, although frequent spilling occurs.Answer
  5. E
    Speaks in complete sentences consisting of four to five words.

Answer

The expected milestones for an 18-month-old include throwing a ball overhand, turning multiple pages of a book at once, and using a spoon to self-feed with some spilling.
Expected 18-month milestones involve refined gross and fine motor skills such as throwing a ball overhand, turning multiple pages of a sturdy book at once, and using a spoon with some spilling. Language development at this stage typically consists of single words, not full sentences.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the client's developmental age.
The child is exactly 18 months old.
Milestones are highly specific to chronological age and form the basis for developmental assessment.
2
Analyze each reported activity against expected 18-month milestones.
Throwing a ball overhand, turning multiple pages, and using a spoon align with 18-month expectations.
Differentiating between current expected skills and skills that develop later prevents misidentifying normal development as delayed.
3
Identify and exclude milestones that belong to older children.
Jumping with both feet (30 months) and speaking in 4-5 word sentences (4 years) are excluded.
Selecting advanced milestones would indicate milestone confusion and an inaccurate understanding of normal progression.

Key Concept

Normal developmental milestones for an 18-month-old toddler include specific gross motor, fine motor, and early adaptive skills.
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