About Developmentally Delayed Children

A child may be diagnosed with developmental delay if he does not reach major milestones around the time he is expected to. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 13 percent of children ages 9 months to 24 months are diagnosed with developmental delay. In most cases, a parent or caregiver is the first to notice a lag in development. Not all delays are permanent.

Symptoms of Delay

• Any time a baby or young child does not meet a developmental milestone near the time it is expected, delay should be considered. If you suspect that your child is delayed, talk to your pediatrician. The sooner it is discovered, the better the chance of her getting help. An actual developmental delay is ongoing. Some children appear to lag behind temporarily, but then catch up. Those children do not have developmental delay. They are simply slightly behind the curve at first. A child who is well behind and then receives intervention in order to meet the milestone is one who is considered delayed. Often, children who are truly delayed have more than one area of lagging development. Common milestones in the first two years include rolling over, sitting up alone, walking and talking.

Causes

• Developmental delays have a variety of causes. They can be caused by genetic disorders that affect the brain like Down syndrome, Turner syndrome or Angelman syndrome. Circumstances surrounding the child's birth may also affect development. Conditions like birth trauma or lack of oxygen may affect development as could prematurity. Other causes of developmental delay include severe infection and drug reactions. Some causes may be caught in time to reverse their effects, thereby "curing" the delay eventually. According to the University of Michigan Health System, hearing loss from ear infections and damage from lead poisoning may both be reversible. For example, a child whose speech is delayed because he has hearing loss from a profound infection, may have the infection successfully treated and reverse the hearing loss. This child, with aggressive speech therapy, may learn to speak and eventually have age appropriate language. This child was delayed but then has caught up.

At Home

• Once a child has been diagnosed with developmental delay, help can be initiated. Services for children with delays depend upon their areas of need. There are services for blind, deaf, physically challenged and cognitively challenged children. Up to age 3, in most cases, services are provided in the child's home or the provider's office. Therapists and teachers visit, get to know the child and plan his care to help him achieve his potential. For parents, it can be a bit overwhelming having service providers in the home frequently. Some like to make all appointments on the same day and others prefer to spread them out.

At School

• After the age of 3 years, most children with developmental delays are eligible to go to public school. Here, some of the therapies and support can be accomplished, leaving more home time for family. Many therapists are skilled at incorporating the plan of care into what is already going on in the classroom with other children, so the delayed child can stay with her peers. Ideally, teachers and therapists meet regularly to plan together for how to best meet the needs of the child. They develop an individual education plan (IEP) to define her services. As she gets older, her needs may change and the plan is reviewed at least yearly. Some school administrators believe that every child, regardless of developmental achievement should have an IEP.

The Future

• In addition to traditional therapies and support, new technology and old wisdom is also being used to help children with delays. Children with language delays due to mechanical problems forming words can use specially designed computers that operate with switches or large buttons to "talk" for them. Children with social delays are engaging in animal therapies. Some children with autism have service dogs to help them navigate the world effectively and others participate in dolphin-assisted therapy.