February 23, 2021
Autonomy is a child’s sense that they are able to use their own skills in thinking and behaving. Children who experience parenting that supports their autonomy have been shown to have better academic achievement, social-emotional-cognitive development, and executive function skills. As a provider, you can use the well child visit to discuss, model and praise autonomy supportive parenting.
Check out these ideas to get started:
For more ideas and reminders on how you can promote autonomy during the visit, download our autonomy summary sheet.