Global developmental delay What is Global developmental delay? The term 'developmental delay' or 'global developmental delay' is used when a child takes longer to reach certain development milestones than other children their age. This might include learning to walk or talk, movement skills, learning new things and interacting with others socially and emotionally. Someone with another condition, like Down’s syndrome or Cerebral palsy, may also have Global developmental delay. Global Developmental Delay is a general term used to describe a significant lag in two or more developmental domains, such as motor skills, language, cognitive skills, or social and emotional abilities. It is not a specific disorder but rather a label that indicates a child is not developing at the typical rate for their age. This delay is usually measured by comparing the child's abilities to developmental norms and is often identified when a child is two or more standard deviations below th...