Developmental regression

Developmental regression occurs when a child who has reached certain developmental milestones begins to lose previously acquired milestones. It differs from global developmental delay in that a child experiencing developmental delay is either not reaching developmental milestones or not progressing to new developmental milestones, while a child experiencing developmental regression will lose milestones and skills after acquiring them. Developmental regression is associated with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, and neurodegenerative diseases. The loss of motor, language, and social skills can be treated with occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy.

Associated diagnoses

Developmental regression is typically a symptom of neurological or neurodevelopmental disorder. Autism spectrum disorder Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder in which a child's communication and social skills are affected. Children with autism spectrum disorder can experience a loss of their previously acquired language and social skills. This is often reported by the child's parents. LKS typically has an onset between 2 and 8 years old. Neuro-degenerative diseases Neuro-degenerative diseases (disorders like Batten disease) can result in a child losing previously acquired motor, language, and speech skills. == Signs and symptoms ==

Signs and symptoms

Children with developmental regression lose developmental milestones they have previously gained. These can be motor, social, or language skills. The loss of motor skills could include loss of the ability to purposefully use hands, loss of the ability to feed oneself, loss of the ability to walk, loss of the ability to bathe oneself, and loss of the ability to dress oneself. The loss of social skills could include loss of the ability/desire to play, loss of the ability to make appropriate eye contact, and loss of interest in playing social games. The loss of language skills could include the loss of a child's ability to understand spoken speech and sounds (receptive language skills) and/or the loss of a child's ability to use words/spoken language (expressive language skills). == Diagnosis ==

Diagnosis

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that most children receive a developmental screening at their 9 month, 18 month, and 30 month physical exams. Physicians also screen children for autism spectrum disorder at their 18 month and 2 year appointments. If the screening indicates a potential problem, a physician would then perform a developmental evaluation to identify the specific developmental areas affected and assess the child's needs. Parents can also monitor their children and inform their provider if their child has lost previously reached developmental milestones. == Treatment ==

Treatment

For treatment of regression of motor skills, occupational and physical therapy can be used. For regression related to seizures, medication can be used to treat the seizures. == See also ==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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