Global Developmental Delay Awareness 2015

Today is Global Developmental Delay Awareness Day. A day dedicated to raising awareness. One of the biggest issues around a diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay is that very few people have heard of it before. Parents report that people just don't understand and think that their child will 'just catch up' eventually. This isn't true and children with a diagnosis require additional support to make progress that their peers appear to find so easy. So, in the spirit of raising awareness I have put together this little post to explain briefly what Global Developmental Delay is and isn't. 

But first.... here's a video that has been put together to celebrate children with this diagnosis.

Babies and children usually learn important skills such as sitting up, rolling over, crawling, walking, babbling (making basic speech sounds), talking and becoming toilet trained as they grow up. These skills are known as developmental milestones and happen in a predictable order and usually at a fairly predictable age. While most children reach these stages at different times, a child with developmental delay may not reach one or more of these milestones until much later than expected.

A child may be described as having global developmental delay (GDD) if they have not reached two or more milestones in all areas of development (called developmental domains). These areas are:

• motor skills - either gross motor skills like sitting up or rolling over and fine motor skills, for example picking up small objects
• speech and language - which also includes babbling, imitating speech and identifying sounds, as well as understanding what other people are trying to communicate to them
• cognitive skills - the ability to learn new things, process information, organise their thoughts and remember things
• social and emotional skills - interacting with others and development of personal traits and feelings, as well as starting to understanding and respond to the needs and feelings of others.

A diagnosis of developmental delay can be very confusing for parents – and it’s important to remember that every child is unique and will develop at their own pace. Getting an early diagnosis can help to ensure the right support is put in place as soon as possible, to help each person to reach their full potential.

Below are some ‘Top Tips from Parents’ taken from a document put together by Contact a Family. 

If you need any support accessing services please get in touch using the contact form on this website. I am able to provide an assessment and referral service; identifying any areas of need and services to meet them. Alternatively, if you feel that your concerns remain unheard by professionals already involved in your child’s care I am able to provide a bespoke advocacy service. 

I've also included some recommended reading at this end of this post if you are interested in developing your knowledge in this area. 

Thanks for reading and have a great day!