Diagnosis overview
The people involved in the early years of a child’s life will vary depending on where and when parents notice that something is not as expected in relation to their child. Parents should be given clear explanations about what is going to happen next and where to get further information and help. Professionals should recognise that potential vulnerability of families with a child with special educational needs or disabilities and be aware that for disability services ‘one size does not fit all’. There are some children who have learning impairments and/or health issues but no one can explain the cause. You might first find out your child has an additional need when they are not developing at the same or equivalent rate as other children their age, in areas such as muscle tone, sitting, communicating or playing with others. If your child has difficulty meeting one or more of these development milestones, it is known as developmental delay. This can be a very worrying and difficult time for parent/carers looking for answers and explanations.
Children’s additional needs or disability may be apparent at birth or may emerge overtime or as a result of a significant event such as brain injury
The term developmental delay can lead parent/carers to expect their child to catch up with their development later. This will be true for some children but not for others, and it might be impossible for doctors to know until the child is older or a diagnosis is made. Some families may be told that their child has global developmental delay ( ). This means that a child is significantly behind in at least two developmental areas or domains. These domains include motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills.
As a parent carer, you may also worry that without a diagnosis or label for your child's additional needs, your child may not get the help and support they need. However, your child should get support based on their needs rather than their diagnosis