Every child is on their individual journey through life.

Especially in their early years, this journey can often look different to their friends and peers.

Developmental delay is when this normal growth slows down or stalls, resulting in a delayed ability to communicate, interact, understand and engage with the world around them.

Learning the news that your child may have a developmental delay can feel overwhelming, there is support to help you navigate this process.

There are plenty of treatment options available and awareness is an essential first step in being able to support their journey.

Building your knowledge is a great way to be proactive.

Language and speech delays

As one of the most common developmental delays, language and speech delays in toddlers can be challenging to recognise.

Speech and language are things that should start to happen gradually during their first year, and they should be able to at least say 50 words by the time they’re two years old.

Language and speech delay can be caused by several factors like a family history of speech and language delay, hearing loss, intellectual disability, or developmental disorders like autism. Sometimes a child’s environment can impact on how they learn speech and language skills.

If you notice your child is only imitating speech, or unable to understanding fewer than 10 words, doesn’t respond to their name or recognise greetings like ‘hi’ and ‘bye-bye’, doesn’t make eye contact, only uses a few sounds instead of words, and can’t copy different sounds and noises by their first birthday, this could be a sign of a language delay.

Some other signs to keep an eye on are:

  • Limited attempts to imitate sounds at four months.
  • Trouble hearing or responding to loud noises after the age of three to four months.
  • Cannot say a word at 12 months.

Fine and gross motor skill delays

As toddlers grow up, they start to use their fine and gross motor skills.

Gross motor skills kick in first – with crawling and walking.

Then the fine motor skills come into play with the ability to use smaller items like forks, pencils, or crayons.

Delayed fine and gross motor skills can affect how a child interacts with spaces and objects around them.

Here are some signs to keep an eye out for:

  • Unable to reach or hold objects at three to four months.
  • Unable to sit up without assistance at six months.
  • Unable to crawl or stand without help by 12 months.
  • Cannot walk on their own at 18 months.

You might also notice smaller behaviours that indicate a delay in fine or gross motor skills like difficulty clapping, grasping, or reaching.

If you start to notice these or other symptoms, it’s good to get in contact with a professional occupational therapist or physiotherapist with experience in early childhood intervention services to find out more.

Cognitive delays

Cognitive development can also be a tricky thing to measure in young children.

Cognitive abilities are the thinking tools needed to complete any task.

They include attention, perception, mobility, logic and reasoning, processing and memory.

Our cognitive abilities depend on how we understand the world and act to solve problems, remember and perceive things.

A cognitive delay is when a toddler’s mental ability is slowed down or limited resulting in a below-average performance against developmental milestones.

Cognitive delay can be caused by genetic conditions, complications during pregnancy or birthing, or other health-related conditions.

Here are some signs to be aware of:

  • Limited babbling up until 12 months.
  • Unable to point or react to objects of interest – like bright colours, or food.
  • Failing to show their parents or caregivers objects they find interesting.
  • Repetitive actions or movements.
  • Not copying or attempting to imitate actions or sounds.

Social and emotional delays

The signs of social and emotional delays can be subtle, and require professional assessment to confirm.”

A social and/or emotional delay affects a child’s ability to engage with adults and other children.

There can be many different causes of social and emotional delays, including trauma, brain injuries, or cognitive disorders.

These can cause a child to process information differently from others at the same stage in life.

Here’s what to look out for:

  • Difficulty understanding social cues.
  • Little or no drive to communicate with caregivers or others.
  • Prolonged tantrums.
  • Violent behaviour towards others.

Support for the next steps

If your child has received a diagnosis or is pursuing an assessment, you won’t have to face your next step alone.

You can work with a highly experienced community of child therapists and access the early childhood intervention services we have available.

Our friendly team is available to answer any questions you may have and when you’re ready, reach out to Early Start to book an assessment.