Pediatric Developmental Delays

What are pediatric developmental delays?

Developmental delays are when a child struggles to meet age-appropriate milestones in their communication, social interaction, emotional regulation or movement. Developmental delays can be mild to severe.

Often, a developmental delay doesn’t mean that a child has a serious illness. They may just need some help jump-starting their development. Our specialists consider all delays carefully. We will work with your child to help them reach their full potential.

What are the different types of pediatric developmental delays?

Developmental delays include difficulties that children may experience with:

• Speech and language

• Feeding

• Movement, including gross (large) and fine (small) motor skills

• Social and emotional skills

Speech and language delays

Speech and language delays are the most common type of pediatric developmental delay. They may sound similar, but they are not quite the same and can happen in isolation or together

Children with speech delays might:

• Not babble by 9 months

• Not say first words by 15 months

• Not have consistent verbal words by 18 months

• Not have word combinations by 24 months

• Have slow speech development

• Have speech that is not understood by family members or others

• Say words incorrectly

• Struggle to make certain sounds

Children with language delays might struggle to focus on things others direct them to:

• Have little or no joint attention

• Not show interest in communicating

• Have difficulty expressing their thoughts

• Have difficulty understanding others

• Have difficulty following directions

• Have difficulty concentrating or focusing

Movement and motor delays

Movement and motor skill delays affect a child’s strength, stamina and coordination. Children with movement and motor delays might have a hard time with activities such as:

• Walking and using stairs

• Holding a crayon, brushing their teeth, or washing and drying their hands

• Using both sides of their body

• Playing with toys like blocks throwing and catching a ball, or riding a bike

Social and emotional delays

Children with social and emotional delays may have difficulty:

• Expressing and regulating emotions

• Interacting with other children or adults

• Reading social cues

• Behaving at school and learning

What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric developmental delays?

Children under age 5 who have developmental delays may experience difficulty with:

• Gross motor skills, such as sitting up, crawling, walking or holding their head up

• Fine motor skills, such as holding a spoon or drawing

• Language skills, both speaking and understanding

• Social skills, including turn-taking and giving and receiving hugs

• Sleep

After age 5, children who have developmental delays may also experience problems with:

• Reading

• Writing

• Following directions

• Remembering details

• Tying their shoes

• Dressing themselves

• Brushing their teeth

• Holding a pencil or crayon

How are pediatric developmental delays diagnosed?

Your pediatrician will assess your child for developmental milestones at well child checks, beginning at birth. If they suspect that your child is experiencing developmental delays, they may refer you to one of our child neurologists. First, our team will ask you about your child’s and family’s medical history. We then use a wide range of tests to precisely measure a child’s development.

We may run tests to understand why your child might be developing more slowly than the age-appropriate pace. Imaging tests help us assess your child’s central nervous system, and other tests can show gene changes or problems with their metabolism (how their body turns food into energy).

We are also specially trained to conduct a new type of assessment that allows us to identify cerebral palsy (CP) early in your child’s life. We check for CP because it often causes developmental delays, and early diagnosis helps children with CP quickly get the care they need.

What causes pediatric developmental delays?

Certain factors can increase the risk of developmental delays in a child, including:

• Exposure to certain toxins during pregnancy

• A family history of developmental delays

• Exposure to toxins during infancy, such as lead, tobacco smoke or high amounts of pesticides and fertilizers

• Neglect

Issues with the brain, muscles, nerves or sensory system can also cause developmental delays, as can certain medical conditions, such as:

• Cerebral palsy

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

• Traumatic brain injuries, especially in younger children

• Spinal cord injuries

• Hearing loss

• Learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities

• Vision problems

How are pediatric developmental delays treated?

Our experts will start with various physical, occupational, and speech and language evaluations. Then, we work with family on a plan of care that may include therapy, monitoring, or home programming. Your child’s care team will assemble a customized care plan to help your child improve their abilities and become more independent.

Depending on your child’s specific needs, therapies may include:

• Physical therapy to help your child improve their strength, balance and coordination

• Occupational therapy to help your child make fine motor (small) movements to improve their skills for daily activities at school and play that include drawing, dressing and bathing

• Medication to manage muscle disorders and symptoms such as mood and concentration

• Speech and language therapy to help your child with communication, understanding and/or feeding

• Special education and academic coaching to help with challenges at school

• Behavioral therapy to help with emotional or mental health challenges

You are an essential part of your child’s care. We will teach you how to help your child practice skills outside their therapy sessions. We understand that you know your child better than anyone and can help them continue making progress at home, too. Together, we can help your child improve their skills and build self-confidence and self-esteem.