Developmental Delay in Mount Airy, NC
From the moment your child is born, their growth and development are monitored by our pediatric team at Novant Health Surry Medical Associates - Westlake. Whenever you bring them in for a checkup, we ensure they reach all developmental milestones for their age groups. Developmental delays can impact everything from behaviors and emotions to social skills, academic performance and cognition. Our pediatrician, Dr. Cecil Thoppil, provides exceptional and high-quality care for developmental delay.
The Different Types of Developmental Delays
Developmental delays fall into the categories of degenerative, nervous system, metabolic and sensory delays. Some of the most common types of developmental delays include:
- ADHD
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Intellectual disabilities
- Cerebral palsy
- Vision impairment or hearing loss
- Learning disabilities
- Spina bifida
- Down syndrome
Signs and Symptoms Associated with Developmental Delays
Since children are reaching developmental milestones within just the first few days and weeks after birth, it is possible to spot developmental delays during infancy. Often, developmental delays aren’t detected until a child begins school. Some signs of a developmental delay include:
- An IQ score below 100
- Difficulty talking or trouble communicating
- Delayed speech
- Doesn’t follow objects as they move
- Doesn’t babble or coo
- Doesn’t respond to or show emotional reactions
- Doesn’t mimic the actions of others
- Loses skills they had
- Delay in sitting up, crawling or walking
- Not showing interest in others or socializing with others
- A lack of problem solving or logic
- Trouble completing everyday tasks such as getting dressed
- Difficulty learning in school
Diagnosing and Treating Developmental Delays
Some developmental delays are more prominent and can be detected through a physical exam or simple observation from our team. In contrast, others may require interviewing parents, performing certain developmental assessments and tests and going through your child’s medical history. How we treat a developmental delay will depend on the specific type. Standard treatment options include:
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Special education
- Behavioral therapy and counseling
- Family education
- Support groups
- Skills training
Autism: General Overview
While it’s easy to screen for hearing or vision problems, it isn’t always as easy or straightforward to screen for certain developmental or behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is because there is no simple blood test that we can perform to provide a definitive diagnosis. Rather, our board-certified pediatrician Dr. Cecil Thoppil will need to evaluate your child’s medical and developmental history and behaviors in order to make a proper diagnosis.
How early can Autism be detected?
It is possible for our pediatrician to diagnose a child as young as 18 months old with autism; however, most of the time, parents don’t bring their child in for an evaluation until after two years old. In some cases, a diagnosis isn’t made until their teen years or even adulthood, depending on the severity of their symptoms and how it impacts their everyday life.
What are the early signs of Autism?
Wondering if your child is displaying normal childhood behaviors or the early signs of autism? Some signs that your child could have autism include:
- Avoiding eye contact
- Showing little to no interest in socializing or playing with others
- Limited language or delayed speech
- Outbursts or temper tantrums when there are changes to their routine
While we don’t want parents to be alarmists when it comes to evaluating their child’s behaviors, it certainly doesn’t hurt to monitor and record your child’s behaviors and talk with our pediatrician here at Cecil Thoppil, MD if you have any concerns. The best thing you can do for you and your child is to get them the proper care they need and to act early if you notice the warning signs.