Global developmental delay is an umbrella term used when children are significantly delayed in their cognitive and physical development. It can be diagnosed when a child is delayed in one or more milestones, categorized into motor skills, speech, cognitive skills, and social and emotional development.
Typical symptoms of GDD include:
- The child is late in sitting up, crawling, walking
- Limited reasoning or conceptual abilities
- Fine/gross motor difficulties
- Poor social skills/judgment
- Aggressive behaviour as a coping skill
- Communication problems
Early intervention is essential to support the child to reach their full potential.
Specialists involved in the management of GDD in children include:
- Occupational therapists
- Vision Therapist
- Speech therapists
- Remedial therapists
- Counsellors
- Developmental paediatricians
- Neurologists
The benefits of Occupational Therapy include:
- Increased gross motor skills
- Increased fine motor skills
- Improved scores at school
- Increased independence
- Confidence improvement
- Able to compete against classmates