Global Developmental Delay (GDD) Assessment
EPIC offers consultant-led, multidisciplinary assessment for young children whose development is significantly behind what is expected for their age, across multiple areas. Early assessment and support can help children make meaningful progress and reach their developmental potential.
What is GDD?
Global developmental delay (GDD) refers to a young child’s (usually preschool) development milestones being significantly behind what is considered typical for their age, and affecting multiple areas of development including physical, cognitive, language, communication, social and functional skills. Early intervention and support can help children with GDD make progress and reach their developmental potential.
How do we assess for GDD?
All assessments for developmental delay and GDD follow and are informed by the initial assessment with one of our consultants or senior clinicians. This will usually be with our consultant paediatrician or specialist GP, to consider all areas of difficulty including pregnancy, birth, medical and family history, and includes a physical examination.
Our allied health professionals – speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and clinical psychologist – will then be involved as needed to assess different areas of development and provide recommendations for intervention and support.
Information on the individual components and what to expect is available from our administration team on request.
What is the outcome?
All of our assessments include a feedback appointment with the consultant or senior clinician to discuss the findings. Recognising and understanding developmental delay or GDD is important for providing appropriate support, adaptations and interventions where needed. A full written report with recommendations is provided.
How much does it cost?
- GDD assessment – £500 to £2,500, dependent on the number of developmental areas needing assessment
Please see our costs explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Global developmental delay is a term used when a young child’s development is significantly behind what is expected for their age, across multiple areas – physical, cognitive, language, communication, social and functional skills. It is most commonly identified in preschool-age children.
GDD is usually identified and assessed in preschool-age children, where milestones across several areas are noticeably behind those of peers. Early assessment and support are particularly valuable because they enable timely intervention.
The initial assessment is usually with our paediatrician or specialist GP. From there, our allied health professionals – speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and clinical psychologist – are involved as needed depending on the areas of development that require assessment.
GDD by definition affects multiple developmental areas, but the specific areas requiring detailed assessment vary between children. The cost depends on which allied health professionals need to be involved and to what extent. A full quotation is always agreed before assessment proceeds.
Every assessment includes a feedback appointment with the consultant or senior clinician to discuss the findings. You’ll also receive a full written report with personalised recommendations for support, adaptations and interventions designed to help your child make meaningful progress.
Related Services
- Initial Assessments – the consultant-led first appointment that all our assessment pathways begin with
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) – often relevant alongside GDD
- Neurodevelopmental Assessment – see all conditions we assess
- Costs Explained – what’s included in our pricing and why