Developmental Delays & Disorders

“What is Sensory Integration?” “Sensory Integration” refers to the brain’s ability to take in and process information from the body and the environment.  This information comes in various forms (visual, auditory, touch, taste, smell, movement, etc), and is processed...

Diagnosing Behavior:  Is Johnny disturbed or disturbing? As a powerful illustration of the subjective nature of defining behavioral “disorders,” consider that the first edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1952...

How many children have language delays? Language development evolves with widely varying rates and sequences, and how we define a “language delay” also varies greatly, not only from state to state but also from parent to parent.  Studies indicate that 1 to 18% of...

Early Signs of Possible Dyslexia: Children between 3 and 5 years may be uninterested or unable to play language games (e.g., rhyming, nursery rhymes), may have articulation difficulties, and may have difficulty learning/recognizing letters, numbers, days of the week,...

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? According to the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as follows: A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as...

In the book “When the Brain Can’t Hear”, author Teri Bellis, Ph.D. provides a parent-friendly, detailed and responsible discussion of Auditory Processing Disorder.  Auditory processing disorder (APD) refers to a deficiency in one or more of these auditory behaviors:...

What is AD/HD?  Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) are considered to be developmental disorders, rather than delays of development. AD/HD typically emerges in early childhood (by age 7).  AD/HD is considered to be...

What is “articulation,” and when does poor articulation become a problem? “Articulation” refers to the way in which sounds, syllables, and words are formed with the coordination of many factors including movement of the tongue, lips, jaw, palate, and breath.  When...

What is Apraxia? Broadly defined, apraxia is a diminished ability to execute learned movements, in spite of the motivation and intent to do so.  Thus, apraxia is said to be a disorder of “motor planning.”  The root of apraxia is “praxis,” which is Greek for “act” or...