Am I normal or just typical?

One of the questions I get asked a lot in my music class is, "My child is not _(fill in the blank)_ yet. Is that normal?" As a developmental specialist, I think this is a tough question to answer. First, we need to define "normal". For years I thought I was normal, but now I'm not so sure! :-) I've come to realize that we all have quirks; we all have things we are good at, and things we struggle to do well. Our children are no different. One child may excel in musical ability at an early age yet struggle with balance and coordination. Another child may be very adept physically but may take longer to learn to speak clearly. Therefore, I'm not sure there is a "normal", just typical.
In other words, if your friend's child is walking at 9 months, there is no cause for concern that your child didn't walk till 15 months. The typical range for walking alone is 13-15 months, so as long as your child is staying within "typical" age ranges for each developmental milestone, he or she would be considered "normal". I will be talking more about typical development and how you can enhance that development through music in the coming weeks. If there is a specific area you would like to see discussed here, feel free to email me or leave a response here. As always, if you continue to have concerns about your child's development, you should discuss it with your child's pediatrician or other health care specialist.