What does your child need?

Young children develop through their relationships with the important people in their lives. Sensitive and responsive caregiving is a fundamental requirement for the healthy development of every child.

This is just as true for children with global developmental delay, although they may have more difficulties having their needs met by caregivers. This may be slower than usual to respond, or appear to react poorly to normal caregiving, or have a hearing or vision loss. Having a child who responds more slowly or differently can be off-putting for parents and make them feel as though the child is rejecting their attention or they are failing as parents. Be assured that all children with global developmental disability can develop positive attachments in time. The most important thing you can do for your child is to develop a close bond with them.

All children need caregivers who are not only loving but also responsive – who notice when their child needs attention, or is hungry, tired or distressed, and who respond appropriately. Learning to read the signs of what state or mood your child is in is an essential parenting skill.

This is particularly important for a children with global developmental disability because they may be harder to read. This makes it important for parents to observe their children closely and learn to read the signs that they have indeed formed that all important bond with them.

It is not only the relationships with parents that matter. Young children learn through their relationships with all the people in their lives, such as extended family members, child minders, child care workers and early childhood educators. It is important that these other people in children’s lives are also able to provide them with responsive caregiving.

Children learn best when they are doing something that they are interested in. While it may not be possible to accommodate your child’s interests all the time, it is good to do so wherever possible. The trick is to embed the things that your child needs to practice into activities that they enjoy, rather than trying to get them to do therapy exercises that they do not enjoy (and that you don’t enjoy making them do.) Not only does this result in better learning, it also makes for a more balanced life for your child.

All young children need to feel safe and secure, both in their physical environments and in their relationships with others. Feeling safe in their core relationships gives children a secure base from which to explore the world. Parents and other caregivers can provide that base, a place where children and young people can return to whenever they feel unsafe or hurt, physically or emotionally.

This is particularly important for young children with global developmental delay who can be slower to learn how to keep themselves safe. You also need to make sure that your child’s physical environments are safe, and that the people they mix with are caring and responsive. But a big part of ensuring safety is building the bond with you, so they always have you as a safe place to come back to.

All young children benefit greatly from mixing with other children and other families. These is an essential part of growing up for every all child. It’s a stimulating experience that builds all sorts of skills – social skills, play skills and physical skills.

Children with global developmental delay are no different. They need access to the same environments as other children, and they need the same opportunities to mix with other children. This can get forgotten when a child has lots of other needs, or has difficulty knowing how to mix with others. But if they are if they are not given the opportunities to mix with others, they will never learn.