Neuro / Motor Developmental Delay

Delays in motor skills interfere with a child’s ability to coordinate large muscle groups, such as those in the arms and legs, and smaller muscles, such as those in the hands. Infants with gross motor delays may have difficulty rolling over or crawling; older children with this type of delay may seem clumsy or have trouble walking up and down stairs. Those with fine motor delays may have difficulty holding onto small objects, such as toys, or doing tasks such as tying shoes or brushing teeth.

Signs & Symptoms

Exhibiting some of the following signs can mean that your child has delays in developing certain fine or gross motor functions:

● floppy or lose trunk and limbs
● stiff arms and legs
● limited movement in arms and legs
● inability to sit without support by 9 months old
● the dominance of involuntary reflexes over voluntary movements
● inability to bear weight on legs and stand up by about 1 year old Falling outside the normal range isn’t always cause for concern, but it’s worth getting your child evaluated.

Diagnosis

If a Neuro-Developmental Assessment has been suggested at the initial consultation this process will take 2 hours. During this time extensive tests are carried out on:

● Balance
● Gross and fine muscle coordination
● Motor development
● Presence of reflexes
● Laterality
● Ocular-motor functioning
● Visual perception ability
● Visual-motor integration

At this assessment, parents need to be present and at the end, the results are correlated and a home program designed.

Treatment

Regression of milestones requires a lot of investigation to know the exact cause of milestone loss. Lots of neuromuscular or neurodegenerative disorders have the phenomenons of developmental regression. In the case of gross motor and fine motor delay, physical therapy in the form of play therapy, developmental therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy is immensely helpful.

In the case of cognition and communication delay, along with physical therapy, special education and speech therapy should be incorporated. In the case of global developmental delay, an early intervention program is highly recommended.