Under IDEA, a Developmental Delay is considered to be “one who is experiencing developmental delays as defined by the State and as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures in one or more of the following areas: Physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development.” Types of developmental delay include cognitive, physical, language, and social-emotional. Students with developmental delay can benefit from opportunities to work on their social skills, like passing out papers or calling on other students. To support them in the classroom.
Students with Developmental Delays may need more support with assistive technologies to allow them to succeed in the classroom. Text to Speech applications can assist these students with writing and engage with classmates. Instruction may be more beneficial for students with Developmental Delays if it is presented in a video or visual style for them to process information.
In all classrooms, all students should be able to see themselves succeed and do great things despite their disabilities. Teachers should use inspirational people with similar learning disabilities as a way to motivate students and show them that they are capable of anything. There are many artists in the world with Developmental Delays who are able to succeed for example:
- James Earl Jones (Speech delay) – Actor
- Maysoon Zayid (Cerebral Palsy) – Comedian and activist
- Peter Dinklage (achondroplasia) – Actor