The Infant or Young Child with Developmental Delay

Despite the 10 percent prevalence of developmental delay,1 the early identification of such problems remains difficult. Although severe disorders can be recognized in infancy, it is unusual to diagnose speech impairments, hyperactivity, or emotional disorders before the age of three or four years, and learning disabilities are rarely identified before children start school2. Despite the difficulty of diagnosing developmental delay, governmental efforts have recently been made (as in the 1986 amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act) to promote early identification and intervention and thus to reduce long-term disability3. In this article, we shall review the available . . .