Introduction

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹, developmental disabilities are "a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas." By definition, these conditions usually begin during the developing or early years of life and tend to have lifelong effects. Developmental disabilities may be caused by factors related to both nature and nurture. For example, many have genetically-based causes, while some are caused by environmental threats, like fetal exposure to alcohol before birth. For some disabilities of this type, exact causes are unknown.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common developmental disorder found in children. ADHD is considered a behavioral disorder, as its primary features are the presence of attentional difficulties and, in some cases, hyperactivity². A child with ADHD generally has trouble sustaining attention for long periods of time (e.g, in their classroom, at home doing homework). He or she tends to also have trouble controlling behavioral impulses, such as running across a street without thinking about the potential consequences of not checking for traffic.

Diagnosis of ADHD in children is usually done by a pediatrician or mental health professional. ADHD does not tend to be diagnosed in the very early years of a child's life, as most all babies and toddlers have not yet developed the skills that may be lacking in children who qualify for the diagnosis of ADHD. The following chart shows some of the most common signs of a child with ADHD:

Another common developmental disorder is called Asperger syndrome. This disorder is often referred simply as Asperger's. Asperger's is a type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and, compared to other ASD, it is characterized by higher IQ levels (must be average or above average) and no language delays³. The main features of this disorder are deficits in social and emotional skills, such as difficulty maintaining relationships, or picking up on social cues from others, like reading someone's emotions via facial expressions³. Causes of Asperger's are unclear. The following chart shows some of the most common signs of a child with Asperger syndrome:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is characterized by a continuum of disabilities in social, emotional, and communication skills⁴. From a physical standpoint, ASD is not usually apparent and it may include children with just as wide a range of intellectual capabilities as typical children. However, ASD is most apparent by the social interactions of children with it. ASD is a diagnosis that may encompass other individual disorders like autism, Asperger's, and pervasive developmental disorder. Exact causes of ASD are unknown, but there appears to be some genetic factors that play a role⁴. The following chart shows some of the most common signs of a child with ASD:

The following diagram shows an example of the range of specific symptoms a child with ASD may have in various areas like intelligence, communication, and motor skills:

Cerebral palsy is another common developmental disorder in children. The term actually refers to a group of similar disorders in which neurological (brain-related) problems cause challenges related to muscle strength and movements⁶. The brain of a child with cerebral palsy may have been affected in a number of different ways before resulting in the disorder. For example, bleeding in the brain or lack of oxygen in the brain may have occurred during or after birth⁶.

Cerebral palsy always affect motor skills. Its effect varies from child to child and may be mild (e.g., resulting in clumsiness) or more severe (e.g., inhibiting a child's ability to walk at all). The following chart shows some of the potential signs that a child may have cerebral palsy:

Signs of Cerebral Palsy

Source: CDC⁶

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is characterized by a continuum of disabilities related to prenatal alcohol exposure⁷. For pregnant women who abuse alcohol, there is an increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, or having a baby born with one disorder which falls on this continuum known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)⁷. Babies born with FAS may have physical abnormalities (e.g., facial abnormalities, small head circumference), cognitive problems (e.g., difficulty learning), and behavioral problems (e.g., emotional difficulties)⁷. This disorder can be avoided by avoiding alcohol during pregnancy.

Response to Potential Development Disabilities

Most developmental disabilities can be diagnosed by medical professionals (e.g., pediatricians) or mental health professionals (e.g., child psychologist). Oftentimes, routine screenings are sufficient to help detect such disabilities. If a developmental disability is suspected in a child, the best course of action is to seek medical consultation. A caregiver may also consider consulting with a child's school (if he or she is of school age) about the concerns in order to gain more information on the child's behaviors and connect to helpful resources. Some children with developmental delays will require special medical attention and specialized educational services throughout their development. Early detection of developmental disabilities helps improve child outcomes¹.