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Global development delay

Global development delay and learning disability, and finding the right support

What is Global development delay?

The term 'developmental delay' or 'global development delay' is used when a child takes longer to reach certain development milestones than other children their age.

This might include learning to walk or talk, movement skills, learning new things and interacting with others socially and emotionally.

Someone with another condition, like Down’s syndrome or Cerebral palsy, may also have Global developmental delay.

Global development delay (GDD) and learning disability

GDD is a commonly used abbreviation of global development delay.

For some people, the delay in their development will be short ­term and can be overcome with additional support or therapy.

In other cases the delay may be more significant and the child will need ongoing support. This indicates they may also have a learning disability

A man pushes his daughter on a rocking horse in a playground

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of developmental delay can be very confusing.

Getting an early diagnosis can help to ensure the right support is put in place as soon as possible, to help each person to reach their full potential.

It’s important to remember that every child is unique and will develop at their own pace.

Find out about diagnosis.

Getting the right support

Get in touch with us to see what support is available to you if you are the parent or carer of a child with a developmental delay.

You may also find it useful to take a look at the information and advice provided by the following organisations:

Donate to Mencap

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could answer a call from someone in crisis who reaches out to our Learning Disability Helpline for support.

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could help a trained caseworker stop a parent’s loved one from being wrongfully locked away in a mental health hospital.

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could help pay for urgent legal support for a family in desperate need of advice to prevent their loved one being admitted to an in-patient unit.

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