Introduction
Intellectual development is one of the key criteria determining the degree of children’s growth and indicating the presence or absence of potential deviations. At an early age, any child demonstrates certain cognitive skills that either meet medical standards or not. The term developmental delay is the diagnosis that is not critical and cannot be related to severe intellectual problems, such as autism or a specific learning disability. At the same time, the procedure for helping children with such a disease may differ significantly compared with the aforementioned ailments. When identifying children with disabilities, using the term developmental delay has some advantages, which simplifies the work of medical specialists.
Accuracy of the Term in Question
In case a specific developmental problem is detected, timely intervention is an important measure to prevent the further progression of a particular ailment into a more serious form. According to Gargiulo and Kilgo, special education programs have numerous benefits for both young patients and their family members who can receive comprehensive advice on preventive work (42). However, depending on the diagnosis, the focus of therapy and rehabilitation may vary; therefore, it is required to determine the diagnosis precisely in order to avoid inadequate treatment.
The diagnosis of developmental delay allows narrowing the boundaries of any intervention and targeting correctional work at restoring cognitive skills but not at rehabilitation, as occurs in different intellectual disabilities. As Gargiulo and Kilgo note, educational methodologies make it possible to achieve “the child’s own competence” through effective work on specific disorders (13). In case of developmental delay, the main focus is on attracting additional resources to stimulate intellectual activity, and the outcomes of corrective practice may be positive. In other words, making such a diagnosis allows defining a set of procedures and working in a clearly chosen direction.
Differences Among Terms
When comparing developmental delay, for instance, with an autism spectrum disorder, it is possible to note different symptoms and the outcomes of interventions. The first diagnosis is amenable to correction, while in the second case, full recovery cannot be achieved. Intellectual disability is another problem that, despite its similarity to developmental delay, also has more serious consequences, for example, a complete inability to learn.
Another ailment is the violation of emotional and behavioral functions, which is corrected but requires different approaches as compared with developmental delay. According to Gargiulo and Kilgo, a socio-cultural environment is an essential criterion that determines the order of intervention and the specifics of an educational methodology (14). In case all conditions are created, it is possible to correct developmental delay and help a patient to adapt to society.
Conclusion
Applying a specific term for developmental delay allows medical specialists to introduce appropriate educational methods and target corrective activities as accurately as possible. Unlike other illnesses associated with intellectual disorders, the problem in question is treatable. Creating optimal working conditions and involving family members contributes to forming an effective educational base aimed at identifying a specific problem and introducing relevant measures for its complete elimination.
Work Cited
Gargiulo, Richard M., and Jennifer L. Kilgo. An Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs: Birth Through Age Eight. 4th ed., Cengage Learning, 2013.