Deviations are behaviors that occur when a child's natural development is hindered. These behaviors can include restlessness, aggression, shyness, or excessive dependence, often resulting from obstacles within an environment that fail to meet the child's developmental needs. Montessori observed that when children are permitted the freedom to choose meaningful, hands-on work in a prepared environment, these deviations disappear and the child returns to their normal developmental path, which Montessori termed normalization.