What does a Developmental Delay assessment look like?  

Assessment includes:

• Developmental Background Interview is carried out with Parents/Guardians
• Preschool Observation or Preschool Teacher Interview is completed
• Assessment of Adaptive Functioning
• Assessment of Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties
• Developmental Assessment (The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development3^rd Edition) or Cognitive Assessment is completed with the child
  

What is Developmental Delay?

Developmental Delay is when young children are slower to develop physical, emotional, social and communication milestones than what is expected.

Developmental delay can present differently in each child. Children with Developmental Delay can have delays in their movement, their communication, how think and learn, and how they interactwith others. When more than one of these areas is affected it can be called Global Developmental Delay.

These Developmental delay might be only last a short time or they are possible the first signs of a long-term problem.Long-term developmental delays are also called developmental disabilities. Examples include Learning disabilities, Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What causes Developmental Delay?

There are many different things can cause children to develop more slowly than others.Developmental delay might happen because of genetic conditions or because there were complications during pregnancy or during the child’s birth. Other causes for short-term delays could physical illness, long periods in hospital, and family stress. In a lot of cases, the cause of developmental delay isn’t known.