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HomeCommon conditions treated:
- Dyspraxia/Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD)
- Sensory Processing Disorder / Sensory Integration Dysfunction
- Autism / Autistic Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger's Syndrome)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Developmental Delay
- Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties
Developmental Delay
What is Developmental Delay?
Developmental delay is a term used to describe a baby or young child who is slower than expected in achieving the normal developmental milestones. This may affect gross and fine motor skills, speech and language skills, cognitive skills and/or social skills. A child diagnosed with global developmental delay will have delays in all their areas of development.
All babies and children develop at different rates and in their own time. Some children will walk earlier than other children, while other children may start talking earlier than their peers. Parents often feel under pressure and start to worry when their baby is later at achieving some developmental milestones than their friend's baby.
In some children, developmental
delay is suspected soon after birth because of feeding difficulties or unusual
muscle-tone. In other children, developmental delay is only suspected much
later when learning or behavioural difficulties surface at school.
There are many different causes for developmental delay. It is a common
condition affecting 1-3% of the population. The delay may be caused by a child’s
genetic makeup (eg Down's syndrome), by problems during pregnancy (eg infection), around the time of delivery, especially if very premature (eg bleeding
in the brain), early infancy (eg meningitis) or later in childhood (eg head injury).
A cause can be found in about half of cases.
Children with developmental delay may present with some of the following difficulties:
- Appears very floppy
- Muscles appear very tight, legs held stiff with little or no movement
- Problems holding head upright
- Unable to roll over by 6 months
- Unable to sit on the floor without support by 8 months
- Unable to crawl by 12 months
- Unable to walk independently by 18 months
Assessment of your child
You know your child best, trust your instincts. It is much better to get advice and help early than to leave problems to develop further. If you feel your baby or child is developing at a different pace or they are struggling to master certain skills we can offer a developmental screening assessment. This is a 45 minute assessment appointment for children under 5. We will ask you questions about your child's development and assess their motor development using observations and motor assessments. At the assessment we will give you advice and some activities to help promote your child's development.
We hold developmental screening assessment clinics once a month in Clitheroe or the assessments can be carried out in your own home.
Please contact us if you would like any further details or would like to arrange an assessment appointment.
If your child needs further assessment or individual therapy then this can be arranged following the screening assessment.
Useful links for information on Developmental Delay
Visit our links and resources page for further information on Developmental Delay
