Key concepts in developmental delay
OK. This page is going to be a lot more effort that I thought it was. Anyway, I'll stop complaining and get on with it.
If you have read about developmental examination, you will be aware that there are four areas in which development is assessed. You've probably got here from the developmental delay page so go back and look at it when you're done here.
Terminology
The first thing to tackle is some definitions. Developmental delay is a sign of many disabilities (though it is not diagnostic on its own). Disability has some very specific definitions with its terminology:
- Impairment - loss or abnormality of a physiological function or anatomical structure. "My hand is missing, doctor."
- Disability - restriction due to impairment. "I can't punch people in the face, doctor."
- Handicap - disadvantage from disability which prevents normal role fulfilment in life. "I can't be a successful boxer and so I won't be able to fight Joe Frazier at the rumble in the jungle in 1974 and partake in one of the greatest performances in professional sport, doctor."
Developmental delay also has some very specific definitions:
- Delay - slow acquisition of skills. This can be all skills (global delay) or skills in a certain field (specific delay). Generally, this is with reference to children of 0-5 years.
- Learning difficulty - this can be cognitive, physical or both (complex) and is related to the childs age.
- Disorder - maldevelopment of a skill. (I didn't even know maldevelopment was a word.)
Classification
Basically, there are three patterns of development: slow but steady, plateau and regression. It's pretty self-explanatory really but the picture on the right will give you a better idea, especially if you're a visual learner or a bit illiterate.
There's also severity of the developmental delay which goes, "mild, moderate, severe and profound". Isn't that interesting? No? Fine then.