Children diagnosed with Development Delays

Developmental Delay is when your child does not reach their developmental milestones at the expected times. It is an ongoing major or minor delay in the process of development. If a child is temporarily lagging behind, that is not called developmental delay. Delay can occur in one or many areas—for example, gross or fine motor, language, social, or thinking skills. Developmental Delay is most often a diagnosis made by a doctor based on strict guidelines. Usually, though, the parent is the first to notice that their child is not progressing at the same rate as other children the same age.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism can look a lot like each other. Children with either condition can have problems focusing. They can be impulsive or have a hard time communicating. They may have trouble with schoolwork and with relationships. Autism spectrum disorders are a series of related developmental disorders that can affect language skills, behavior, social interactions, and the ability to learn.

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities, with onset in childhood. The term general learning disability is now used in the UK instead of other terms. The degree of disability can vary greatly, being classified as mild, moderate, severe or profound.
Developmental disabilities are issues that kids don’t outgrow or catch up from, though they can make progress. Even when it’s not clear what’s causing the delay, early intervention often helps kids catch up. But in some cases, kids still have delays in skills when they reach school age.

Children with a general learning disability find it more difficult to learn, understand and do things compared with other children of the same age. Children and adults with intellectual disabilities have an increased prevalence of health problems and their health needs are often unrecognised and unmet. They are also more likely to experience abuse and less likely to access health and other support services successfully.