Developmental

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Delay
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Developmental Delay

A developmental delay refers to a child who

has not gained the developmental skills
expected of him or her, compared to others of
the same age. Delays may occur in the areas
of motor function, speech and language,
cognitive, play, and social skills. Global
developmental delay means a young child has
significant delays in two or more of these
areas of development.
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Cognitive Delays

Motor Delays
Types of
Developmental
Delay Social, emotional, behavioral
Delays

Speech Delays
Cognitive
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Delays

Cognitive delays may affect a child’s

intellectual functioning, interfering
with awareness and causing 
learning difficulties that often
become apparent after a child
begins school. Children with
cognitive delays may also have
difficulty communicating and playing
with others.
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Motor Delays

Delays in motor skills interfere with a child’s ability

to coordinate large muscle groups, such as those in
the arms and legs, and smaller muscles, such as
those in the hands. Infants with gross motor delays
may have difficulty rolling over or crawling; older
children with this type of delay may seem clumsy or
have trouble walking up and down stairs.
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Social, Emotional, and Behavioral
Delays
Children with developmental delays, including
those with related neurobehavioral disorders such
as autism spectrum disorder and 
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, often also
have social, emotional, or behavioral delays. Due
to differences in brain development, they may
process information or react to their environment
differently than children of the same age. 
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Speech Delays

Some speech delays are receptive language

disorders, in which a child has difficulty
understanding words or concepts. Children
with this type of speech delay may have
trouble identifying colors, body parts, or
shapes. Others are expressive language
disorders, in which a child has a reduced
vocabulary of words and complex sentences
for his or her age.
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Causes of Developmental Delay
 Genetic or hereditary conditions like Down syndrome

 Metabolic disorders like phenylketonuria (PKU)

 Trauma to the brain, such as shaken baby syndrome

 Severe psychosocial trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder

 Exposure to certain toxic substances like prenatal alcohol exposure

or lead poisoning

 Some very serious infections

 Deprivation of food or environment

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Signs and Symptoms of Developmental
Delay
 Learning and developing more slowly
than other children same age

 Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or

Click to add text walking much later than
Click to add text developmentally appropriate

 Difficulty communicating or
socializing with others

 Lower than average scores on IQ

tests

 Difficulties talking or talking late

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 Having problems
remembering things

 Inability to connect actions

with consequences

 Difficulty with problem-

solving or logical thinking

 Trouble learning in school

 Inability to do everyday tasks

like getting dressed or using
the restroom without help
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Therapies for Developmental Delays

Although there is no cure

for developmental delay,
therapies directed to the specific
area of delay are very effective in
helping children catch up to their
peers. These types of therapies
may include:​
​
Occupational
z Therapy- This can addresses fine motor skills, sensory
processing and self-help issues.

Physical therapy is often helpful for children with delays in gross motor skills.

Speech and Language Therapy - Speech therapy is typically used to

address problems in the areas of understanding and producing language and
speech sounds.

Early childhood special education provides stimulation for early

developmental skills, including play skills.

Behavioral therapy - This may be needed in some children for

behavioral difficulties that affect socially appropriate behaviors.
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References:

 https://www.ssmhealth.com/cardinal-glennon/de
velopmental-pediatrics/developmental-delay

 https://nyulangone.org/conditions/developmenta
l-delays-in-children/types

IMAGES:

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/dd/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/intelle
ctual-disability

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/32573
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