Global Learning delay

Rich65

My son has been diagnosed with this and autism recently .
He is non verbal and struggles with communication and understanding really badly .

The autism diagnosis was mentioned from early on but we had not heard of this GLD .

Is it a nice way of saying he will always be mentally behind ,or something that he could dramatically improve with ?

Just wondered if anyone had been in a similiar situation 

anisty

Global just means "all" It means your son's development is delayed across the board - across all learning areas.

So not only are his speech and language delayed, but also play development, self help skills (ability to dress himself, feed himself etc)  toilet training, maybe walking, running and physical skills too.

It's a description of his presentation. There can be various causes of GLD. 
 

Rich65

He is currently at 9 months old age wise  on their assesment and hes 4 and a half . 

We dont know the cause we had the genetic tests done etc and all were clear so I suppose its unlikely we will ever know .

Cher_Alumni

Hello @rich65

I think it's hard to reliably predict how the Global Learning Delay will impact your son. Looking at this Mencap overview, some delays are short term and overcome with additional support, whilst others are more significant and need ongoing interventions.

Having that diagnosis in place though is great as it allows you to access the right support for your boy to progress along his own individual path. 

Have you got a professional who you can speak to about any worries you have? Also, how are you getting on as a family? 

Wishing you all the best for the future. Take care.

anisty

Yes, unfortunately the cause isn't always known. If the birth has been difficult, or there was placental insufficiency that can be a cause but chances are you will never know.

With my son, he was small compared to my other babies but within normal range. He was 6lb14oz. My other boys were well over 9lb. My girls were 8lb.


And he needed a bit of resussitation at birth with oxygen but he soon pinked up - he didnt need rushed to ICU or anything. There was just a slight delay to get him breathing.


Like you, your mind just goes round and round thinking about all the possible causes and worry for the future.

I think you do come to a point where you realise you wouldn't want them to be any other way, and that marks full acceptance.

Well past the age of 4, i really hoped and believed my son might have a huge developmental spurt and catch up.


But every assessment they did, the gap got wider. (Mainly with his speech and language) He was 2yrs behind at age 4. And 5yrs behind at age 12.

I expect your son will get a place at a special school? I think you will find you feel much more supported and settled once his placement is sorted. 

Our son had to attend mainstream which was stressful - the pressure came right off once he got into services at his level. Hopefully, your son will have that targeted support from the start.  It's a real privilige to parent these special children.

Rich65

Hi Anisty ,

I can relate to a lot of what you are saying .

There wasnt any issues at birth etc but my wife questions everything and tries to find a reason for why its happened which i think is difficult for her .

He is a lovely boy and definately accepted for who he is , I think my wife struggled for a time with the thought that he may well not be able to do the things we all do : House , Car ,Uni ,Career etc etc bur i feel as though shes past that now -that was never really a thought for me as i dont have many expectations in general .

The EHCP plan is in place for a really good special school and we are very hopeful he will get in ,the thought of a 9 month yr old in a mainstream school with 5yr olds is still a worrying one though and something i cant comprehand (how there isnt the adequate amount of spaces for SEN kids in SN schools ,but thats another conversation )

He is such a great little guy -fun ,happy ,cheaky and sooooo much easier than my neurotypical daughter lol 

anisty

Yes, I thought there would be similarities in our stories. It is a rollercoaster, especially leading up to diagnosis.

I remember being mightily relieved when they didn't find any life limiting conditions.

Then - when we found his comprehension was so delayed, i was settling into thinking "he's just not very bright - that's fine, i can cope with that!"


I remember thinking how much easier things would be when he could talk.


But of course it wasn't because, although his sounds were intelligable and i could understand the words - the content of what he was saying wasn't easy to understand. I can't remember any examples now but we couldn't have a conversation with him really until about 2 years ago!


Just as one difficulty was resolving, another seemed to appear!


It's only within this past year, he has shown insight into how his head thinks and it is very fascinating. Some things he cannot explain. And he has to be in the right mood to engage in the conversation.

But you're absolutely right how refreshing it is to be free of expectations. 

I remember listening to other mums at toddlers and thinking 'i'm not even in the running here and i don't even care!"



Like your son, mine is a real joy. He announced last week he wanted to learn piano (inspired by the blind girl on the tv prog)

So we got him a digital piano keyboard and have booked him some lessons.

I was sitting opposite him today and he just started grinning. I asked him what was funny.

He said " i'm just thinking about my piano!"



He could have had a piano years ago but he never said; we had no idea. He said he has been thinking about it for years but he doesn't know why he never said anything.

It will be great for him as his only hobby is the computer. 

I really hope your little guy gets into an excellent school🙂