New York Birth Injury Lawyers
Explaining Types of Developmental Delays

There are certain terms within the world of medicine that tend to evoke emotional responses, especially when they involve parents and harm to their children. One of those terms is known as the developmental delay, as this generalized phrase indicates that something is very wrong with a child. Perhaps the worst aspect of this type of a term is that it can mean many different things and finding a cause for this problem can be extremely difficult.

Unfortunately, many developmental delays are the result of a mistake made by the medical professionals who were supposed to have overseen the delivery process of the child that has been affected in this manner. Below you will find a brief discussion of common types of developmental delays. Any parents who suspect this result has occurred because of a birthing mistake needs to obtain the help of New York birth injury lawyers as soon as possible.

Language and Speech Delays

One of the most common types of developmental delays involves the child’s ability to learn a language and to speak. Generally speaking, a child should be learning to speak in the beginning stages by age 3 and should be relatively conversant by age 5. When a child is not developing in this manner, it could indicate any number of problems that include a simple lack of willingness to speak or some medical disorder that relates to the brain.

Emotional and Social Delays

In addition to learning to speak, a child between the ages of 3 and 5 should also be developing on emotional and social levels. These problems begin to reveal themselves during this time-frame and usually involve a child who shows no interest in other children and who shows extreme emotional distress when separated from parents or primary caregivers. As the child grows towards age 5, if he or she shows little interest in fantasy play or spending time with other children, it could indicate a problem.

Motor Skills

Much like the child’s development in terms of language and emotional capabilities, he or she should also show progress in terms of motor skills and movements. During this time in a child’s life, he or she should begin to show the ability to crawl, walk and move up and down stairs. By the time the child reaches age 5, he or she should be able to brush teeth, change clothes and hold a crayon.

Cognitive Development

Finally, another common type of developmental delay involves the child’s cognitive development. This can be difficult to measure, as children develop their thinking skills at different rates. However, what should basically be watched for is an inability or a lack of interest in playing out fantasy games or an inability to concentrate on an activity for more than a few minutes.

How New York Birth Injury Lawyers Can Help

If your child has been diagnosed with a developmental delay and you believe that it was because of a mistake made during the birthing process, you need to seek the help of New York birth injury lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of children for more than 40 years. Contact The Fitzgerald Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.