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Understanding Developmental Delays
Developmental delay is a condition that represents a significant delay in the process of development in children, usually from 0 to 8 years. Without special intervention, a child’s ability to reach normal developmental milestones and educational performance at school is at risk. Normal development falls within a range and children who mature outside this range may need special education supports. Essentially, a child does not reach their developmental milestones in one or more of the key areas at the expected times. Children that are delayed in all areas are said to have global developmental delay. These children are lagging in skills in the five main areas of development, which include Cognitive development The child's ability to learn and solve problems. Examples include, a two-month-old baby learning to explore with hands or eyes or a five-year-old learning simple math problems. Social and emotional development The child's ability to interact with others, including helping themselves and self-control. Examples include, a six-week-old baby smiling, a ten-month-old waving bye-bye, or a five-year-old child taking turns in games at school Speech and language development The child's ability to understand and use language. Examples include, a 12-month-old baby saying his first words, or a five-year-old child learning to say "feet" instead of "foots". Fine motor skill development The child's ability to use small muscles, specifically their hands and fingers, to pick up small objects, hold a spoon, turn pages in a book, or use a crayon to draw. Gross motor skill development The child's ability to use large muscles. Examples include, a six-month-old baby learning how to sit up with some support, a 12-month-old baby learning to pull up to stand holding onto furniture, and a five-year-old learning to skip. Developmental delay is usually identified during infancy as part of regular health checkups. When failure to reach these developmental milestones is first noticed by a child’s parents or doctor, further medical and psychological assessments are needed to evaluate the extent of delay and the areas of concern. The causes of developmental delay vary considerably and are not always known. In most cases, developmental delay is related to some form of neurological abnormality. This may be due to genetic or heredity disorders (such as Down Syndrome) or other developmental disorders that affect the nervous system (such as Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida). Other causes include premature birth, infections or various metabolic diseases. Signs of developmental delaysEvery child develops at his own pace and the range of what is normal is quite broad. However, it is helpful for parents to be aware of red flags for potential developmental delays in children. The rate at which children move through developmental milestones varies, and may be affected by many factors including and not limited to genetic conditions, prenatal experiences, childhood illness, temperament, physical ability, environment, and some cultural and social variables. Yet, some skills can only be developed when children are physically ready, such as rolling over which requires sufficient muscle strength and tone. Signs that your child may not be progressing through the key milestones include delays in: Motor skills development 3 to 4 months
6 - 7 months
1 year
2 years
Early speech and language development 3 to 4 months
7 months
1 year
2 years
Vision development 3 months
6 months
3 months
7 months
1 year
Cognitive development 1 year
2 years
In all of the development areas, watch for loss of skills that were previously learned. Keep in mind that mild delays in motor development can be normal, and with the range in when these milestones are achieved, your child may not achieve each one at the same time as other children. Most developmental delays in children are not serious, and even children with serious delays can make big improvements with early treatment. Sometimes the signs that a child is struggling can be obvious, and other times may be too subtle to notice. However, physical signs may be more telling. Slow growth, coordination and motor skills difficulties, difficulties with speech and thought processing, and not physically and academically keeping up with other children at school are all possible signs of developmental delay. Managing developmental delaysParents are usually the first to notice a problem with their child's motor, social, and/or speech and language development, and this is enough to initiate further evaluation. In addition to a formal hearing test for speech delay, neurological exam and developmental assessment, children with developmental delays should also be referred to an early childhood intervention program for evaluation and development of a treatment plan. Early support for your child who has a developmental delay is critical for long-term success. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a program called Legacy for Children, which provides support to families who have children with special needs. Intervention programs and peer support for parents help strengthen families and allow children to continue on a successful path of development. Professionals that can help in your child’s evaluation and treatment include: general practitioners, child health nurses, pediatricians, audiologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and specialist teachers. The types of treatment for each of the developmental areas include:Motor skill delay More physical activity at home Speech or language delay Evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. Vision delay Early treatment can help correct many vision problem. Social and emotional delay One of the common causes of social and emotional developmental delays are pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which cause communication problems ranging from mild to severe. PDD includes autism, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett syndrome. Treatments include:
Cognitive delays Early treatment Parenting a child with developmental delaysFor parents caring for children with developmental delays, it is helpful to get an early assessment and identity the possible causes. If medical conditions are the cause of developmental delays and are treated, a child’s functioning can improve substantially. If the causes are unknown or not treatable, as in genetic disorders, appropriate plans must be put in place to ensure a good quality of life for your children. Regardless of whether or not your child’s condition is treatable, building a healthy self-esteem to help your child discover their full potential should be a priority when planning for their future. Children entering foster care are at a higher risk for developmental and behavioral problems than other children in the general population. Some of their risk factors include genetic disorders, exposure to viruses and/or drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, poverty, abuse and neglect. However, even though children entering foster care are at high risk for having developmental problems, some of them are not presented with a developmental or behavioral challenge and meet all their developmental milestones at the expected times. Others may have only mild difficulties that may improve once they are placed in a caring and developmentally stimulating environment. Finding the cause of a child’s developmental delay is not always possible, and for children entering foster care, detailed information may not always be available. For example, details about a birth mother’s misuse of drugs and/or alcohol during her pregnancy may not be easy to determine. Similarly, information about family history, including genetic conditions, may be missing especially if the birth father is not known. It becomes more difficult to predict how a child’s development will progress without this information. For adoptive parents, it’s important to find out as much as you can from the child’s agency when you become interested in a particular child. Sometimes this can require considerable detective work that calls for meeting with local authorities and medical advisors who know the child, to help you gain a better understanding and what will influence the child’s development. Becoming fully informed can help in your decision-making and to determine how much you are prepared to live with and accept. Always remember that the help of health professionals such as speech therapists and physiotherapists, specialist support at school, active support and positive encouragement from adoptive parents and families, can help children with developmental delay to thrive and develop to their full potential. Helpful links or resources for developmental delaysComprehensive Psychological Assessment Centre http://comprehensivepsychology.com.au/child_assessment_testing_development_delay.htm How kids develop - http://www.howkidsdevelop.com/fcCommon.html Babycenter - http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-adopted-childs-speech-and-language-development_1374228.bc#articlesection2 Bemyparent - http://www.bemyparent.org.uk/features/what-is-developmental-delay,344,AR.html Collage Paediatric Therapy - http://www.collagetherapies.ca/en/global-developmental-delay Government of Newfoundland http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/studentsupportservices/developmental.html healthychildren.org: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Pages/default.aspx Content references University of Michigan Health System - http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/devdel.htm Kids Health – Delayed Speech or Language Development - http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/communication/not_talk.html WebMd - http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/recognizing-developmental-delays-birth-age-2 Live Strong - http://www.livestrong.com/article/270976-developmental-delay-in-children/#ixzz2ARw5YQwv |
The development process is something every child must go through. This process involves learning and mastering skills called development milestones. They include sitting, walking, talking, skipping, and tying shoes. Children generally learn these skills during predictable time periods. Milestones develop sequentially, where a child needs to develop a skill before they can develop new ones, and builds on the last milestone developed. For example, children must first learn to crawl and to pull up to a standing position before they are able to walk.
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