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Global developmental delay refers to a delay in two or more
important areas of development . These areas include motor
skills, speech and language skills, academic skills, learning
ability, social and emotional skills and self help skills. When
developmental delay is suspected, psychological assessment forms
only a small part of the child's overall evaluation. In order to
identify the causal and maintaining factors, medical and
psychological assessments are necessary.
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WHAT IS GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTAL
DELAY?
Global developmental
delay is often identified during infancy as part
of the regular health checks. From very early on,
children are expected to reach developmental milestones within
each key areas. For example, some of the motor
skills include rolling over, sitting up, walking and
picking up small objects. Speech and language skills include
identifying sounds and speech, bubbling, imitating speech and
finally talking. Academic skills include memory and learning.
Finally, some of the social and self help skills
include exploration, interacting with others and skills
such as eating and dressing. When first noticed that
children fail to reach these developmental
milestones, further tests are needed to evaluate the extent of
delay and the areas of
concern. |
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CAUSES
OF DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
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.
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TESTING FOR DEVELOPMENTAL
DELAY
Once suspected, tests can confirm the presence
of developmental delay. Since the causes can
be numerous, the diagnostic tests aim to cover broad areas and
may include:
- Metabolic tests and screening
- Genetic
(Chromosome) testing
- Hearing and vision test
- Lead
screening
- Thyroid screening
- Electroencephalography
(EEG), Computed tomography (CT) scans, Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI)
- Psychological assessment
Psychological
assessment
Psychological assessment often
involves an in depth interview with the parent(s) and
possibly a psychological assessment of the parent(s) as well.
Parents are also asked to complete structured questionnaires
about their children's functioning, including observations of
playground behaviour, interaction with other children and
various skills children are expected to perform at certain
ages (e.g., tying shoe laces, dressing independently).
Children are tested for motor skills, academic skills and
language skills. |
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TREATMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
Early assessment and identification of
possible causes can help. When medical conditions that cause
developmental delay are treated, usually children's functioning
improve substantially. When causes are unknown or not treatable (as
in genetic disorders) it is important to put appropriate plans in
place to maximise children's potential and to ensure a good
quality of life.
Even if not treatable, children with
developmental delay should enjoy the opportunities to discover
what they are able to do and what it is that
they are good at. Developing a healthy sense of self
esteem should be priority when future plans are
implemented. |
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WHAT WE
OFFER
At CPAC
we offer a professional approach to diagnose
developmental delay. We test for global and specific
developmental delay and screen at risk children. If we
identify global developmental delay, we will refer you to
appropriate medical professionals to carry out further medical
tests. If your child is at risk, we will help you
and work together with other professionals to design the
best possible treatment plan for your
child. |
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