title: Developmental milestones among Aboriginal children in Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Windows of achievement provide age ranges for the attainment of early developmental skills. Group-specific research is warranted given that development may be influenced by social or cultural factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine developmental milestones for Inuit, Métis and off-reserve First Nation children in Canada, based on developmental domains collected from the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey. Sociodemographic and health predictors of risk for developmental delay were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ranges in which children achieve certain developmental milestones are presented. Gross motor and self-help skills were found to be achieved earlier (across the three Aboriginal groups), whereas language skills were achieved slightly later than in Canadian children in general. Furthermore, health factors (eg, low birth weight, chronic health conditions) were associated with late achievement of developmental outcomes even when sociodemographic characteristics were considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that the timing of milestone achievement may differ for Aboriginal children, highlighting the importance of establishing culturally specific norms and standards rather than relying on those derived from general populations. This information may be useful for practitioners and parents interested in identifying the age ranges for development, as well as age ranges indicating potential for developmental risk and opportunities for early intervention among Aboriginal children.
authors.affiliation: Statistics Canada, Health Analysis Division, Ottawa, Ontario;
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.affiliation: Statistics Canada, Health Analysis Division, Ottawa, Ontario;
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kohen
authors.affiliation: Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
keywords: Child development; Indigenous population; Infant child; Preschool child