Developmental Delay

All children develop at different rates and there is no "strict timetable" for when they will reach certain milestones but if they are significantly behind their peers in one of more areas then it's often worth investigating further.  Our paediatric therapists are well-placed to assess for possible Developmental Delays and can provide ongoing advice and therapy as appropriate.

Some Developmental Delays are temporary e.g. delayed acquisition of physical skills delays following a long stay in hospital and these types of delays will usually respond well with early intervention.

Others may be the result of other, underlying conditions, e.g. Down Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome and brain injuries. These children may never reach all the skills that other children do but with appropriate input they can certainly make significant progress.  Our therapists can work with children and their families to support the child in their development and encourage the acquisition of skills and functional activities.

Some kind words

Our daughter’s renal failure means that she is delayed with standing and walking at 2 and half years of age. We first started seeing Jules a few months back for an intense block of physiotherapy to build the strength and skills needed for her to eventually stand and walk.  It was really important that the physiotherapist specialised in paediatrics and could work alongside the NHS physiotherapists we also see. Jules immediately put us at ease with her friendly and professional approach and has built a good, trusting relationship with our daughter.  She uses play as a way to get our daughter to engage with the therapy.  Our daughter has really enjoyed all her physio sessions to date and we have seen a notable improvement in her movement.  She has begun to pull herself up and can climb up small steps as well as shuffle down stairs in a controlled manner!

Ms S, Bristol