Chapter Contents
What Are Developmental Disabilities?
Developmental disabilities are severe and chronic conditions that develop during a child’s developmental period (up to 22 years), typically last throughout the person’s lifetime and impact one or more of the following areas:
- Physical ability
- Learning
- Language
- Behaviour
Developmental disabilities may impact a child’s self-care, ability to communicate and their mobility and they require higher levels of supervision and support than other children their age.
Conditions include autism, ADHD, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, severe hearing loss and visual impairment. Some conditions are associated with intellectual impairment (learning disability) and children with a learning disability may have special educational needs (SEN).
The cause of developmental disabilities is not always known, but some factors that have been found to be associated with disabilities include:
- Premature birth
- Genetic factors
- Parental smoking/use of drugs during pregnancy
- Communicable diseases (e.g. Measles)
- Intrafamilial births
You can find information about global developmental delay and learning disability at Mencap.
Assessment and Diagnosis
Some conditions may be evident at birth, but others may not be discovered until the child fails to meet developmental milestones and is referred for developmental screening. It is therefore important for parents and carers to be aware of the child’s next milestones and report any concerns to the GP. Early intervention can greatly benefit the child’s development and reduce the impact of the disability.
If you are concerned about a child you are looking after, please speak with your supervising social worker.
Interventions and Support
A diagnosis of developmental delay or a specific developmental disability can provide access to support from paediatricians, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists.
Depending upon the child’s individual impairments and needs, the child may be assessed for additional support at school, either within mainstream education settings or special education provision.
Parents and carers of children with a disability may be able to claim some financial assistance through the Disability Living Allowance scheme (DLA). see this page for more information.
