Abstract
Developmental delay is a common diagnosis given in clinical practice to young children whose developmental milestones fail to be met in a typical age-expected manner. Research on early delays in speech and motor milestones remains unclear regarding long-term developmental outcomes. The purpose of this study was to cross-validate and further investigate subsequent diagnoses (more than 4 years post delay diagnosis) and potential neuropsychological weaknesses in children who suffered early developmental delays in speech or motor. Participants (N=95) completed a neuropsychological evaluation. Though similar in age, grade level, and economic status, the children with developmental delays were compared with children without delays. Results revealed that the group of children with developmental delays had significantly lower Full Scale IQ’s and academic achievement scores (Reading and Mathematics). Across other neuropsychological measures, children with delays had lower scores than non-delayed children; however, no measureable impairments (when neuropsychological variables are compared to Full Scale IQ). Chi square showed the delay group to be more likely to subsequently be diagnosed with ADHD.
Highlights
Assessment of developmental milestones and the relative meaning of delays are not always clear
Developmental delay is considered when a child fails to meet one or more developmental milestones related to motor, speech and language, social functioning, or daily living skills [1,2,3,4,5]
The sample was divided into two groups, those who had diagnosed developmental disorders (Dev-Delay; n=49) and those with no diagnosed or reported developmental delays (No-Delay; n=46), but whom have been referred for neuropsychological evaluations at their current age for behavioral or academic issues
Summary
Assessment of developmental milestones and the relative meaning of delays are not always clear. Developmental delay is considered when a child fails to meet one or more developmental milestones related to motor, speech and language, social functioning, or daily living skills [1,2,3,4,5]. For the purposes of this paper, developmental delay is defined as a significant developmental difficulty achieving specific milestones when compared with same age peers [7]. Most relevant literature defines significance as performance that is one to two standard deviations below the mean on age appropriate, standardized, norm reference testing [1,2,3,4,8,9]
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