International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Volume 8 Issue 5
September-October 2026

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Beyond Developmental Delay:Asynchronous and Context Dependent Milestone Attainment Among Children with Autism at the Preoperational Stage

Author(s) Ms. Kambole Salimu, Prof. Daniel Ndhlovu
Country Zambia
Abstract Understanding developmental milestones among children with autism at the preoperational stage is important for recognising their developmental strengths and support needs. This study examined the developmental milestones exhibited by children with autism at this stage and explored variations in milestone attainment across developmental domains. An interpretive case study approach was used with six parent participants. Three participants had children who were still within the preoperational stage while three had children who had progressed beyond this stage. Participants were selected through purposive and homogeneous sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and non-participant observation checklists and analysed thematically. The findings indicated that children with autism did not demonstrate a uniform pattern of developmental delay. Instead, milestone attainment was asynchronous across developmental domains. Children demonstrated strengths in some areas while experiencing difficulties in others. Differences were observed in communication and language, social interaction, motor development, daily living skills, cognitive abilities, sensory processing and behavioural development. Some children demonstrated developmental abilities inconsistently or only under familiar conditions, with routine, prompting and context influencing performance. The severity of developmental difficulties also varied, with some children experiencing significant delays while others demonstrated moderate delays. The study therefore concludes that developmental milestone attainment in autism should be assessed beyond whether a milestone has been achieved by considering how consistently and under what conditions the ability is demonstrated.
Keywords Autism, Milestones, Preoperational stage, Asynchronous development, Zambia
Field Sociology > Education
Published In Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On 2026-09-03
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.87015
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E-ISSN 2582-2160
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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