Parenting will usually come with a significant element of enjoyable moments and challenges and one such concern that is particularly distressing is the possibility of developmental delay in kids. For this particular purpose, people need to have a clear idea about what actually developmental delay means and how to deal with it without any problem. In very simple terms a developmental delay means that the child will be slow to reach one or more developmental milestones in comparison to the other kids of the same age group. Developmental milestones can include any activity which the children will be beginning to perform for example development of the motor skills, language skills, emotional skills or any other kind of related things. 

However, it is very important for people to know that every child will be growing at their own speed but still consistently remaining in touch with the doctor at pediatric clinic will be highly recommended for parents so that they can focus on regular monitoring and development without any problem. Developmental delay will not always indicate a long-term issue but still, if the kids are showing developmental delay in the milestone or are having any kind of persistent issue then parents should get in touch with the things very well so that professional guidance will be there without any problem. Some of the common symptoms associated with the developmental delay are:

1. At the age group of 6 months social smiles and cooing sounds
2. At 12 months responding to the name, lack of babbling and minimal gestures like waving and bye-bye 
3. At 18 months-limited vocabulary and difficulty in walking 
4. At two years, clearly formulating two-word phrases or showing limited interest in gaming 
5. At three years-difficulty in formulating these sentences, understanding the instructions and engaging in simple pretended play 

These are basically the very general guidelines that you need to take very seriously but discussion of the concerns with the neuro paediatric has to be very well done so Some of the common causes of the developmental delay are:

1. Genetic factors: This will be based upon conditions like Down syndrome or any other kind of related issues 
2. Prematurity: If the kids are being born significantly early this will lead to a significant impact on the early development 
3. Medical conditions: Kids who are facing chronological illnesses, sensory impairment and neurological issues will be suffering a significant number of issues which is the main reason you need to take such things very clearly
4. Environmental factors: The lack of stimulation by the adults around or multi-nutrition and exposure to toxins before birth like alcohol, toxins or any other kind of related things. It is very important to note that child abuse is also a significant cause of such developmental delay. 

How will the healthcare provider assess the child? 

Developmental screening will be done for the children to identify the developmental delay and the screening in this particular case will be based upon a structured evaluation process. This will be undertaken by highly trained professionals and the screening will involve a questionnaire, checklist and direct observation of the skills of the children in the areas like motor function, language, cognitive ability and social interactions. Regular screening in combination with the alignment of the child visit will be very important to pay attention to for the early identification of potential concerns. Early detection through the screening in this case will pave the way for timely intervention and will enable the kids to receive the support they need to thrive. Parents in this particular case must not hesitate to request the developmental screening if they have any kind of concerns about the progress of the child. Extensive testing or blood testing will usually be not a part of the initial screening however if the developmental delay is sometimes due to genetic or other health issues then specific testing might be required.

Why is it important to go for early intervention? 

The very first years of the child’s life are very critical for the development of the brain and the following are the most important points in which the early intervention will make a significant difference as recommended by the top paediatric neurologist:

1. It will be addressing the underlying causes and contributing factors very easily.  
2. It will be providing people with tailored therapy about speech therapy, occupational therapy and other associated things. 
3. It will be echoing the parents with strategies to foster the development at home and will be providing people with genuine element of support so that they can achieve their potential without any problem. 
4. Children with developmental delay will be expecting benefits from the multidisciplinary approach because the occupational therapy, speech therapy and language therapy in this case are some of the common examples that you need to take very seriously. Personalised plan of care will be very well required in the whole process so that everybody will be able to achieve best of the potential without any problem.

Normally people mix the concept of developmental delay with autism but both of them are entirely different. Developmental delay is the slow speed of achieving milestones in areas like skills, language and social interaction whereas autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition which is characterised by  Early intervention in both of these cases will be very much recommended based upon therapies and strategies so that everyone will be able to enjoy the underlying diagnosis very well and further learning about the developmental delays will be very important. 

Celebrating the achievement of your child no matter how small or big and focusing on the steps that you can take to help them grow is very much important. So, if you are very much concerned about the development of the kids then reaching out to the healthcare provider for guidance is highly recommended because early action, patience and love in this particular case will make the entire world of difference in the overall journey of your child.