Developmental delay is a condition in which a child’s development of motor skills and cognitive skills are delayed.
Developmental delay can be a tough thing to live with. It can cause children to have difficulty in learning, physical development, and social skills. It can be caused by a variety of factors, and it is important to understand the signs so that parents don’t miss the signs.
When a child is diagnosed with developmental delay, it can be frustrating and confusing. There are many reasons why a child may have delayed development, such as genetic disorders, brain injuries and environmental factors.
A developmental delay diagnosis may lead to the following:
- Learning disabilities
- Behavioral issues
- Health problems
- Speech and language problems
- Developmental delays in other areas of life
Motor developmental delay can be caused by many factors, such as genetic or environmental factors, or it can be due to an injury. Some children with motor developmental delay have difficulty with balance and coordination, while others may have difficulty with fine motor skills and/or gross motor skills.
Motor delays are not a common condition, but can be very difficult to detect. Some of the signs of a motor delay include:
- Achieving developmental milestones such as rolling, sitting, crawling and standing later than the predicted age
- Stiffness in the upper and/or lower limbs
- Reduced tone in the trunk compared with other children of a similar age
- Difficulty with handwriting
- Problem with tying shoelaces
- One side of body is used significantly more than the other
- Difficulty walking
- Very clumsy compared with other children of a similar age
Physiotherapy for developmental delay
Early physiotherapy treatment can help children develop faster as their brains are more flexible. It helps them with their motor skills and improves their coordination. Our physiotherapists are currently being used in many different ways and can help children to develop skills like balance, agility, coordination and motor skills.
Physiotherapy treatment will focus on:
- Increasing muscle strength
- Stretching stiff joints
- Improving balance and coordination
- Promoting normal patterns of movement
- Achieving milestones
- Achieving maximum potential
- Improving the quality of life
- Promoting independence with everyday tasks
After the first treatment session, you are encouraged to speak with your physiotherapist about the latest evidence-based treatments that you can try at home to minimize your child’s risk of complications or re-injury.