Developmental continuum of key milestones with warm activities & safety tips
The Benefits of PPOD™ (from a child's perspective) [see also PPOD Comparison]
PPOD is a web-based, online service. It uses a new and novel system/interface for navigating content within a
grid. This grid-navigation system is based on a proprietary design called
Kontinuums™ (patents pending) which has been developed by SurfWax, Inc.,
a pioneer of practical tools for surfing and using the Web.
The PPOD grid is a developmental continuum consisting of column headers (Age in Months), row headers (developmental Strands, such as "Cognitive"), and cells (Milestones sequenced by Age within a Strand).
PPOD is written from a child's point-of-view. VORT pioneered this approach in 1985 with some of its early parenting materials. Parents love the warmth and personal nature expressed in this approach. So the following begins from the (your) child's perspective. Enjoy PPOD!
PPOD is a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool for observing, monitoring, and fostering my development–from birth to three years of age–a critical time for my future development.
PPOD helps you learn what I should be doing and when. It covers 108 key developmental milestones (skills) supported by research to be key milestones. These milestones are grouped into developmental strands: Cognitive, Dressing, Eating and Drinking, Expressive Language, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Receptive Language, Sleeping, Social-Emotional, Toileting, and Growth.
I should know how to do the items listed in PPOD by the time I reach the age for a respective milestone. Milestones are listed at the age that most children can do them, not the average age. Please look ahead when using PPOD to know what I should be learning to do. Use the activities to help me learn these skills during everyday routines.
Please remember that milestones are presented at the age that most, not all, children learn them. Children learn at different rates and there is a little wiggle room. If I have not mastered a milestone by a given age, but am making progress, continue to encourage my development through everyday activities—I will get there. If I am not making progress or if you are concerned, talk with my doctor.
PPOD provides concise information: a clear Introduction to each milestone, Ideas for fostering development, and helpful Hints. The Eating and Drinking strand also covers Healthy Eating, Picky Eaters, and Mealtime Behavior. The Growth strand helps you monitor my growth which is important because childhood obesity is a major public health issue in the United States.
PPOD facilitates important discussions with my pediatrician. It is organized according to the twelve well-child visit ages recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics): Newborn, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age. The 30-month visit is a relatively new AAP recommendation. The primary purpose of this visit is to monitor development. Although it is a recommended visit, please note that my pediatrician may not conduct a 30-month well-child visit because most insurance companies do not yet cover this visit.
PPOD helps you record important information about my development. This information will be used to generate a developmental report that you can bring to my pediatrician at each well-child visit:
Then use a PPOD report as a guide for discussing my development at each well-child visit. There are three report options:
Tell my doctor about all the great new things that I have learned and share any concerns. If concerns about my development arise, my pediatrician may formally evaluate my development using a developmental screening test. The purpose of a developmental screening test is to help the doctor decide whether or not my development appears within normal limits for my age. If I do not pass the developmental screen, I should be referred to our local early intervention program for a full developmental assessment. The results of this assessment will determine whether or not I am eligible to receive services to help me with my development. In addition to referring me to our early intervention program, my pediatrician may recommend other tests as needed (e.g., hearing test). If I pass my developmental screen and you still have concerns about my development, remember that you know me best. You can always refer me to our local early intervention program even if I pass the developmental screen and even if my pediatrician may think that it is okay to wait.
PPOD puts all of the information related to my development in one place, organized to coincide with my well-child visits. The knowledge that you gain from PPOD will empower you to be in the driver's seat when discussing development with my pediatrician. Instead of my pediatrician telling you what I should be doing, you'll be telling my doctor what I am doing and you will be prepared to bring up concerns. As my parent, you know me best and you are my best advocate. PPOD will give you the knowledge you need to feel confident about your knowledge of my development.
If I was born prematurely (<37 weeks gestation), you should consider my adjusted age when looking at and discussing my development until my adjusted age is at least 12 months. During this time, PPOD reports will include the milestones closest to my adjusted age. If my birth weight was <2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8.2 ounces) my growth should be plotted at my adjusted age until I am three years old.
The PPOD grid is a developmental continuum consisting of column headers (Age in Months), row headers (developmental Strands, such as "Cognitive"), and cells (Milestones sequenced by Age within a Strand).
PPOD is written from a child's point-of-view. VORT pioneered this approach in 1985 with some of its early parenting materials. Parents love the warmth and personal nature expressed in this approach. So the following begins from the (your) child's perspective. Enjoy PPOD!
PPOD is a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool for observing, monitoring, and fostering my development–from birth to three years of age–a critical time for my future development.
PPOD helps you learn what I should be doing and when. It covers 108 key developmental milestones (skills) supported by research to be key milestones. These milestones are grouped into developmental strands: Cognitive, Dressing, Eating and Drinking, Expressive Language, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Receptive Language, Sleeping, Social-Emotional, Toileting, and Growth.
I should know how to do the items listed in PPOD by the time I reach the age for a respective milestone. Milestones are listed at the age that most children can do them, not the average age. Please look ahead when using PPOD to know what I should be learning to do. Use the activities to help me learn these skills during everyday routines.
Please remember that milestones are presented at the age that most, not all, children learn them. Children learn at different rates and there is a little wiggle room. If I have not mastered a milestone by a given age, but am making progress, continue to encourage my development through everyday activities—I will get there. If I am not making progress or if you are concerned, talk with my doctor.
PPOD provides concise information: a clear Introduction to each milestone, Ideas for fostering development, and helpful Hints. The Eating and Drinking strand also covers Healthy Eating, Picky Eaters, and Mealtime Behavior. The Growth strand helps you monitor my growth which is important because childhood obesity is a major public health issue in the United States.
PPOD facilitates important discussions with my pediatrician. It is organized according to the twelve well-child visit ages recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics): Newborn, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age. The 30-month visit is a relatively new AAP recommendation. The primary purpose of this visit is to monitor development. Although it is a recommended visit, please note that my pediatrician may not conduct a 30-month well-child visit because most insurance companies do not yet cover this visit.
PPOD helps you record important information about my development. This information will be used to generate a developmental report that you can bring to my pediatrician at each well-child visit:
- First, you will be able to record the progress that I am making towards attaining each skill on a scale of 0 to 4: (0) Not yet observed, (1) Just started, (2) Some progress, (3) Almost there, and (4) Achieved. If you're busy, you can opt to simply document the dates that I achieve my milestones. By documenting my development as I learn key skills, you will have an accurate record of my milestones. Too often, parents are asked to remember when their child learned a particular skill; remembering, in retrospect, is less reliable.
- Second, you will be able to record comments, questions, or concerns regarding my development that are connected to each milestone. For instance, you may want to note that my first word was "ball" rather than simply documenting the date that I said my first word.
Then use a PPOD report as a guide for discussing my development at each well-child visit. There are three report options:
- Talking Points: Provides a list of the milestones, and my progress status, for that specific well-child visit. It also contains a list of other points to discuss with my doctor. You can use Talking Points to help guide your conversation with my doctor.
- Short Report: Provides a written report containing all of the milestones, and my progress status, for that specific well-child visit. The report flags any milestones that are not scored as “Almost there” or “Achieved” with a red arrow. The report reminds my doctor to pay special attention to any flagged milestones. The report also reminds my doctor to talk with you about my growth.
- Full Report: Provides a comprehensive report containing all prior and current PPOD milestones. For prior milestones, it denotes the date that I achieved the milestone and my age at that time. For current milestones, and any other milestones that I may not have yet achieved, the report denotes my latest progress status, along with the date and my age on that date. The report flags any milestones that are not scored as “Almost there” or “Achieved” with a red arrow. The report reminds my doctor to pay special attention to any flagged milestones. The report also reminds my doctor to talk with you about my growth.
Tell my doctor about all the great new things that I have learned and share any concerns. If concerns about my development arise, my pediatrician may formally evaluate my development using a developmental screening test. The purpose of a developmental screening test is to help the doctor decide whether or not my development appears within normal limits for my age. If I do not pass the developmental screen, I should be referred to our local early intervention program for a full developmental assessment. The results of this assessment will determine whether or not I am eligible to receive services to help me with my development. In addition to referring me to our early intervention program, my pediatrician may recommend other tests as needed (e.g., hearing test). If I pass my developmental screen and you still have concerns about my development, remember that you know me best. You can always refer me to our local early intervention program even if I pass the developmental screen and even if my pediatrician may think that it is okay to wait.
PPOD puts all of the information related to my development in one place, organized to coincide with my well-child visits. The knowledge that you gain from PPOD will empower you to be in the driver's seat when discussing development with my pediatrician. Instead of my pediatrician telling you what I should be doing, you'll be telling my doctor what I am doing and you will be prepared to bring up concerns. As my parent, you know me best and you are my best advocate. PPOD will give you the knowledge you need to feel confident about your knowledge of my development.
If I was born prematurely (<37 weeks gestation), you should consider my adjusted age when looking at and discussing my development until my adjusted age is at least 12 months. During this time, PPOD reports will include the milestones closest to my adjusted age. If my birth weight was <2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8.2 ounces) my growth should be plotted at my adjusted age until I am three years old.