Developmental problems in children are rare, affecting only 3.4% of children under five. Development can vary significantly, and physical disabilities can cause delays. Pervasive developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, are a major concern. Other developmental problems include ADHD, Tourettes, and dyslexia. Doctors may order a developmental assessment to determine the problem and treatment.
While diagnosing developmental problems in a child can be devastating, it’s quite rare. In a 1994 report released by the US Census Bureau’s National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), in the age group of children under five, only 3.4 percent of children have developmental problems. A child with a developmental problem or disorder has significant physical, cognitive, or mental retardation. This can manifest itself in any number of symptoms, including problems walking, understanding and using language, following instructions, eating, and so on. It is important to note that if your child has difficulties related to vision, speech or hearing, they are not necessarily developmentally delayed.
While there is a generally accepted timeline for development, what is considered “normal” can vary significantly. Speech development and walking can vary dramatically between children and still be considered normal. Some babies are born prematurely and need more time to catch up with their peers.
Development can be influenced by many things. If a child has a physical disability, they may not develop along a normal timeline. For example, if he or she has spina bifida, walking may not be easy or at all.
Many children put some skills on hold while developing others, such as a toddler who is intent on crawling but neglects to work on fine motor skills for a short time. Some children may simply not be interested in reaching a milestone right now, and parents may worry that they are not developing “normally.” Speech may apparently be delayed due to an undiagnosed problem such as a hearing impairment.
One of the major problems that the medical field has focused much of its attention on is a group called pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). These include a wide range of social and communication disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders. An autism spectrum disorder is a neurobiological condition in which communication and social skills are delayed. This spectrum of developmental disorders includes Asperger’s syndrome. Other disorders characterized as PDD include childhood disintegrative disorders and PDD-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Other developmental problems that can cause developmental delays include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourettes syndrome, cerebral palsy, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bedwetting, and general learning disabilities like dyslexia. Doctors can’t always diagnose why a child is experiencing developmental problems. It can be the result of a problem in the brain resulting from a biological or neurological defect. Other causes of developmental disorders can be genetic or environmental. If you or your doctor suspects developmental disorders, he or she will order an involved developmental assessment of your child’s speech, mental, social, physical, and emotional abilities in order to determine the problem and decide on a course of treatment.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
