Developmental delay
See also the separate articles Delay in Walking and Delay in Talking.
Developmental delay occurs in up to 15% of children under 5 years of age.
[1] This includes delays in speech and
language development, motor development, social-emotional development and cognitive development.
Parents are usually the first to pick up signs of possible developmental delay, and any concerns parents have
about their child's development should always be taken seriously. However, the absence of parental concern
does not necessarily mean that all is well.
The main purpose of developmental assessment depends on the age of the child:
Tests may detect neurological problems such as cerebral palsy in the neonate.
Tests may reassure parents or detect problems in early infancy.
Testing in late childhood can help detect academic and social problems early enough to minimise
possible negative consequences (although parental concern may be just as good a predictor for some
problems).
[2]
The move to targeted examinations at ages 2 and 3.5 years, rather than routine, has raised concerns that some
conditions (eg, pervasive developmental disorder) may be missed.
[3] No developmental screening tool can allow
for the dynamic nature of child development. Achild's performance on one particular day is influenced by many
factors. Development is not a linear process - it is characterised by spurts, plateaux and, sometimes
regressions.
Screening has gradually been replaced by the concept of developmental surveillance.
[4] This is a much broader
concept. It involves parents, allows for context and should be a flexible, continuous process.