Global Developmental Delay

What is Global Developmental Delay?

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a term used when three areas of a child’s development are delayed and take longer to reach than other children of a similar age; cognitive and social skills, gross motor skills and fine motor skills. This presentation can be due to an underlying condition and tests can be arranged by a paediatrician to detect potential abnormalities. Signs of GDD include delayed milestones from all developmental areas (within the typical time frames as determined by normative data) – these could include delayed smiling, babbling, sitting and crawling, or struggling to use both hands to play with toys and pick up objects. Typically, a health visitor will refer your baby to the appropriate clinicians for further assessment of these three areas. A physiotherapist will assess gross motor skills, an occupational therapist will look at fine motor skills, and cognitive or speech development will be assessed by a speech and language therapist or specialist paediatrician.