ABSTRACT
This chapter is focused on outcomes for children with developmental delays and their families. Children with developmental delays identified in the preschool years present unique problems, as they often do not fit the usual diagnostic categories. The delays may be expressed as generalized slowness in reaching expected milestones, or by delays in specific areas, such as language or motor skills. Despite uncertainties about etiology and diagnosis, and the heterogeneity of problems identified by the term, there is increasing support for the category as a justification for providing early services for young children and families (Bernheimer, Keogh, & Coots, 1993; McLean, Smith, McCormick, Shakel, & McEvoy, 1991). It is clear, too, that families of children with developmental delays, as well as the children themselves, may benefit from services and support. Indeed, parents with children who have nonspecific delays face particular and sometimes excessive demands, including coping with the ambiguities and uncertainties of the children’s conditions and futures.
