Global developmental delay
What is global developmental delay?
Global developmental delay is a term used for a pre-school age child who has difficulty in two or more areas of development. It may be a cognitive, communication, physical or social/emotional delay. The child is making progress at a slower rate than their peers and their future progress may be uncertain. A clinician, eg community paediatrician or neonatologist, can diagnose the condition and monitor the child’s development.
When very young children start to develop, their skills are interdependent to a great extent, so a delay in one area often impacts progress in another. For some children, global delay may be short-term, and the developing child will respond well to therapeutic or medical intervention, for others it is long-term.
Global delay can also accompany other conditions, including autism and co-occur with medical and sensory needs, such as asthma or hearing impairment.
What causes global developmental delay?
Global developmental delay has many possible causes and, in some children, no clear cause is identified. It may be linked to genetic conditions, complications during pregnancy or birth, premature birth, neurological conditions or other medical issues. Identifying the cause, where possible, can help healthcare and education professionals plan appropriate support, although treatment is usually based on the child’s individual needs rather than the diagnosis alone.
Support for children with global developmental delay
A young child with global developmental delay may need support at nursery and later in school. Health visitors and early years teachers provide an adapted environment and targeted programmes to help very young children play and learn.
Therapists, eg Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists will assess strengths and needs and provide advice and packages of support at home and school, to enhance cognition, communication and physical development. In addition, early years inclusion teachers can support at nursery and in Foundation Stage, and extra funding may be available to support the child’s learning.
Can children with global developmental delay attend mainstream school?
With appropriate support, many children with global developmental delay attend mainstream nurseries and schools. Others may require more specialist provision, depending on the nature of their needs. In some cases, a formal offer of an EHCP from the local authority is useful.
It is important that global developmental delay is recognised as early as possible so that a child can take advantage of early intervention support at the nursery stage before they reach school.
