Developmental Delays
From birth to school age, developmental delays are common. Nearly 1 in 10 children
under age 6 experience delays in physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional or social
development, according to the online Encyclopedia of Children’s Health.
Your child might not be crawling, talking or running as soon as playmates. Polinsky
Medical Rehabilitation Center therapists will help you understand his or her condition
and develop a treatment plan.
Common problems include:
- Premature birth
- Autism
- Global development delay,
caused by conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome or Down syndrome
- Hearing loss
- Gross motor and fine motor delays
- Social delays
- Muscle difficulties
- Neurological
or medical conditions
- Speech and language delays
- Verbal difficulties, such as
stuttering or articulation of sounds
Therapy for children with developmental delays may include working on visual motor
skills, like eye-hand coordination, or fine-motor skills, such as drawing or tying
shoes. These activities help improve a child’s skills for daily living or play.
A child may need help with her language. This may include helping her ask questions
in play (“What is that?”), requesting (“Can I have it?”), protesting (“No!), labeling
items (“cow)” or pointing to items to identify.