Global developmental delays describes when children do not meet their developmental milestones. Generally from the age of 2 months to 5 years old. Although each child is different in their development, milestones are established in order to determine functional skills on age specific tasks.
Delays can occur in the following area:
Gross motor- Involves the use of larges muscle groups such as walking, crawling and standing. May impact children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Fine Motor- Small movement in the fingers used for drawing, painting, buttoning, coloring, and shoe tying.
Speech and language delay- A delay in language may be due to motor-oral problems.
Cognitive- Delays can be caused by, infections, ,metabolic, toxic, trauma, and chromosomal abnormalities (Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, etc.)
Social/Emotional Skills- Shows signs of delay in responding and interacting with other people. Common cause may be autism spectrum disorder
The following articles provide information on understanding global developmental delays:
6 things I’d tell the parent who just heard the word ‘Global Developmental Delay’
Causes and symptoms of developmental delays
Developmental delays and disabilities
Recognizing developmental delays in your child
Types of developmental delay in children
Understanding developmental delays
What causes developmental delay?
What you need to know about developmental delays