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Brain Development of a Young ChildBy Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q: I wanted to know what are the symptoms of a slow developed brain of a 4 year old child?
A: When brain development is slow, this would eventually affect development in other areas. The following guide may be useful in describing skills and growth markers of 4 year olds (taken from http://health.allrefer.com). Three main aspects are described; physical and motor, sensory and cognitive, and play.
Physical and motor
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During the 4th year there is usually a weight gain of about 6 grams per day.
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The height of your child during the 4th year should be double their length at birth.
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Improved balance.
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Hops on one foot without losing balance.
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Throws a ball overhand with coordination.
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Skillfully cuts out a picture using scissors.
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May not be able to tie shoelaces.
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Bed wetting at this age is still considered normal
Sensory and cognitive
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Vocabulary has increased to over 1500 words.
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Easily composes sentences of 4 to 5 words.
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Can use the past tense.
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Can count to 4.
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The age when your child will ask the most questions.
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May use words outside their comprehension.
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May begin using vulgar terms depending on their exposure.
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Learns and sings simple songs.
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Tries to be very independent.
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Increased aggressive behavior.
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Readily discloses personal family matters to others.
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Imaginary playmates are common.
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Increased comprehension of time.
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Able to distinguish between two objects based on simple criteria (such as size, weight, etc.).
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Less egocentric behavior.
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Believes that their thoughts and emotions are causative events.
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Lacks moral concepts of right and wrong.
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Rebellion is common if expectations are excessive
Play
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Encourage and provide the necessary space for physical activity.
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Instruct the child how to participate in, and follow the rules of sporting activities.
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Encourage play with other children in the area to help develop their socialization skills.
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Encourage creative play.
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Read together.
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Monitor both the time and content of television viewing.
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Expose the child to different stimuli by visiting local areas of interest.
I hope the above helps; however, it is best to see a pediatrician for an accurate description based on the health history of the child.
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