Developmental Pediatrician in Boston, MA

At Porter Pediatrics, we understand the importance of early intervention and support for children with developmental delays. That’s why we’re proud to offer specialized care through our team of experienced developmental pediatricians.

Our dedicated pediatric clinic in Boston has the training and expertise to assess, monitor, and provide support for children who may be experiencing developmental challenges. Whether your child has been diagnosed with a developmental delay or you have concerns about their development, we’re here to help.

Porter Pediatrics believes in a collaborative approach to care, working closely with families to provide the resources and guidance needed to ensure their child receives the best possible treatment and support. From testing and evaluation to ongoing monitoring and intervention, we’re committed to helping every child reach their full potential.

For more information on pediatric development delays and what signs to be aware of, call us at (617) 426-9200 to schedule an appointment.

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Motor Delays

Developmental issues of a physical nature are classified as motor delays. This categorization includes conditions that often affect a child’s coordination. Kids with motor delays will often appear clumsy at a very early age, and will usually experience difficulties in crawling and/or walking.

Common causes of motor delays in newborns and young children include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Ataxia
• Muscular dystrophy
• Spina bifida
• Achondroplasia
• Myopathy

Speech Delays

There are several disorders that can lead a child to experience difficulty in both understanding others and expressing themselves when speaking. Some kids may also encounter issues with speech and communication simply because they are not often stimulated, and therefore do not have frequent opportunities to hone these basic skills. Alberta published an article with some very useful information about speech delay in children, in this blog they included sings and symptoms, how delays are diagnosed and an overview of what a delay is.

Behavioral Delays

Instances that involve the delay of social, communicative, or emotional regulation skills all belong to a group known as behavioral delays. Conditions that cause individuals to process information differently than others are often at the root of these developmental delays, which typically include:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)

It is also entirely possible for children to experience problems in this particular area of development from a lack of interaction with others, or from negative behaviors that they learned from watching others.

Cognitive Delays

Conditions affecting the development of an individual’s brain will often result in cognitive delays that are typically detected during early years of schooling. These delays can make it challenging for the child to learn at the same pace as their peers, and they may also have trouble communicating with others. Unfortunately, the exact cause of a child’s cognitive delay is not often known.

Delays Versus Disabilities

There is often a lot of confusion about the difference between a developmental delay and a developmental disability. Although many of our patients will hear the terms used interchangeably, there is an important distinction to be made:

• A developmental delay is a temporary condition that can be corrected over time
• A developmental disability will always exist as a part of that person’s life

For example, a young toddler may show delays in the development of their social skills, but it is entirely possible for them to grow out of habits of shyness or introversion. This is a developmental delay. However, if an infant is born with hearing loss then it is considered to be a developmental disability since they will never naturally regain any sense of hearing that has been lost.