Are you wondering if your child may be showing signs of a developmental delay? Sometimes your child is just working on a specific skillset before they move onto the next.

However, there are some children who are developmentally delayed and show signs of it. The important thing is knowing exactly what those signs are and what you can do about them.

#1. Speech is delayed.

Delayed speech is one of the more common signs that your child may be developmentally delayed. There are early intervention programs in each state that can come and evaluate your child.

#2. Delayed gross motor skills.

If your child is having problems with crawling or walking, this may be a sign that they are experiencing a developmental delay.

#3. Fine motor skill issues.

Picking up something as simple as food can be a sign that a child has a developmental delay

#4. Communication troubles.

There may be a point where you think your child may be having issues with communicating and this is a sign that your child may be developmentally delayed.

#5. Cognitive delay.

This may be more difficult for a parent to sniff out because there are so many varying degrees of a cognitive delay.

#6. Preterm baby.

It’s not uncommon for a preterm baby to have a delay of some sorts. In fact, most preterm babies are already given a “plan” to help get them up to developmental speed. When a child is delayed from being preterm they will go by his/her due date and not by when they were born.

#7. Hearing impairment.

If your child is struggling to hear things correctly, this may be a sign of a developmental delay. Once a hearing impairment is addressed, the child can start working towards proper developmental goals.

#8. Genetic condition.

Sometimes children who are faced with a genetic condition may also deal with a developmental delay. There are also children who have genetic conditions who are not faced with a delay on a developmental level.

#9. Social skills.

Some wouldn’t consider this a sign of a developmental delay, but it can be one. Some children who are delayed on a social level have trouble connecting with different people and may also struggle with building relationships.

If there’s any question in your mind that your child may have a developmental delay, it’s worth calling in the professionals. Early intervention is important during those “younger” years for so many reasons. The sooner a child gets help the better off they will be down the road.