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Developmental Delay

Understanding Early Milestones and Support

Welcome to the Peak Body for Children with Developmental Delay & Global Developmental Delay

Xavier in partnership with the Queensland Department of Child Safety, Disability Services and Seniors, is proudly the peak body service for children with developmental delay in Queensland. We have established this service to assist Queenslanders who experience developmental delay and their service providers with access to resources, information, online and phone support and referrals.

Our focus is children with developmental delay and global developmental delay (GDD) and we believe that the best support comes from reliable information and connection. It is for this reason that we aim to provide support primarily for children with developmental delay and their families, but also create opportunities for them to connect to providers such as allied health, educators, childcare providers, community groups and playgroups and for those providers to have the opportunity to share and access information and to network across Queensland.

Our aim is to become the community hub for those who have a vested interest in assisting children with developmental delay so that these children have the best possible opportunities to reach their full potential. In order to create this community, we invite families and providers to subscribe to our website so that you don’t miss out on updates and opportunities to connect. We also invite you to use our web form to offer suggestions and feedback about ways that we can assist or areas in which you would like more information.

What is Developmental Delay?

The following are terms used by the NDIS in ECEI to assist with determining what kinds of supports your child may need. When considering development, the following areas of functioning are considered:

  • self-care;
  • receptive and expressive language;
  • cognitive development;
  • motor development;

Developmental Concerns: Developmental concerns is the term used by Early Childhood Partners to identify children who do not qualify as having developmental delay or global developmental delay, however there are some minor delays in their development and they are under 6 years of age.

Developmental Delay: Developmental delay means a delay in the development of a child under 6 years of age that results in substantial reduction in functional capacity in one or more of the areas listed above and requires support from a combination of professionals for an extended period.

Global Developmental Delay: Global Developmental Delay is a diagnosis used by paediatricians when there is a significant delay present in several of the areas of functioning listed above and the child is too young to participate in further testing and/or more investigation is required. Global Developmental Delay is a diagnosis which can only be confirmed by a Paediatrician and typically means that the child will go on to be diagnosed with a disability in the future.

Developmental delay can be temporary for some children. With the right kinds of supports, children who experience delay may catch up as they learn and grow. These supports are called early intervention. For some children, developmental delay is an indicator that they may need additional supports throughout life. In any case early intervention can be very beneficial for a child with a developmental delay of any kind.

If you have concerns about your child’s development there are a range of ways to get more information and support. Your first port of call might be to contact your GP or trusted health practitioner or other early childhood professionals such as their Educators at childcare or playgroup.

For more information about developmental delay and Early Childhood Intervention please click through to our Directory from the button below or call us at 1800 Xavier and we’ll be happy to help.

How can Xavier Help?

Research shows that when children with developmental delay and other disabilities are given the opportunity to participate in mainstream environments, they will have better educational, social and developmental outcomes later in life.

We believe that every child has the right to participate in mainstream early years communities, this includes childcare, early learning centres, playgroups, kindergarten, family day care and in-home care. This can be challenging for children with developmental delays but we are here to help.

No matter what stage you are in of supporting your child through their journey with developmental delay, Xavier is here to help.

Our Developmental Delay Directory has been created to help families and providers looking for further information, support or referrals. If you can’t find what you need or require more specific support, complete our web form below or contact us at 1800 XAVIER and follow the prompts. We will be in touch.

If you’d like Xavier to keep you updated on topics relating to developmental delay, please indicate this in the form below. We will provide you with interesting articles, upcoming events and networking opportunities in your region as well as updates about the exciting things we are doing in our quest to assist children with developmental delay and their families.

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