Developmental Delay
What is Developmental Delay?
Developmental delay is a non-categorical label used by health professionals when reluctant to assign a categorical label. It is the most common type of disability among preschool children. As children age, many are diagnosed with a more specific disability. The developmental delay label is given to children who develop at a slower rate than typical children of the same age. There are identified developmental milestones that children should reach.
Children might develop at a slower rate for a number of reasons such as: premature birth, insufficient brain cell development, and damage to brain cells before or during birth.
Children experiencing developmental delay may exhibit these characteristics:
- difficulty with change or transitions
- challenges with staying on task and completing a task
- difficulty understanding concepts that are abstract
- delays with expressive and/or receptive language
- problems with organizing and/or remembering information
- difficulty with unstructured activities
