 There are many forms of therapy that benefit children with developmental delays. Each child should be assessed and given an individualized therapy program. This section shows you the different therapies that are used widely, as well as highlighting new therapies. You'll also find information about therapies you can do at home -- with the approval of your child's therapist, of course.  Read about new medical studies, treatments and tests regarding developmental delays in this section. If your child has a specific label, like hypotonia or apraxia, you can find information here. You'll also find selected articles from medical professionals that may help you understand more about your child's special needs. 
In addition to the childdevdelays list, which has a limited membership, you can find other sources of support in this section. Find a discussion forum, chat, or email group in this section.  Stop by for great deals on books, toys and more! |
When your child is diagnosed with developmental delays, you feel many things. Grief, frustration, anger, sadness, hopelessness, emotional saturation, disbelief, anxiety, fear, relief for finally finding an answer, encouragement, hope, and countless other emotions. Perhaps you'll never stop feeling some of these feelings, but one thing is certain: you must become your child's advocate. Without you, your child will not receive the help he or she needs to grow and learn.
In order to become your child's advocate, you must learn about your child's special needs. This will help you focus your energy on the people and therapies that can help your child, instead of blindly following one lead after another (although, this can happen even when you're armed with knowledge). Child development is not cut-and-dry. Sure, there are milestones and evaluation standards that help us understand where a child should be, but as you already know -- every child is unique. This means that while one child may have a diagnosis of fine motor delay, another child with the same diagnosis may have totally different strengths and weaknesses and require a much different type of therapy.  The best we can do is learn all we can. Read books, medical journals, magazines, Internet sites and other forms of media that focus on your child's special needs. Learn from the professionals who work with your child, and from parents in support groups. Being an advocate for your child also means becoming a teacher of sorts. You need to teach others about your child. If a medical professional isn't familiar with what affects your child every day, educate him. If a teacher clearly wants to help your child succeed in class, talk with that teacher and the principal. Remember, you must work with all of the professionals as a team player.
This section will help you in your quest for knowledge. Remember, it is vital to evaluate your information with an open and clear mind. Take everything with a grain of salt and try to be analytical when researching. It's difficult not to get excited about new therapies or treatments or upset with dismal reports, but again, try to keep a clear head. |
 
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