Developmental delay means a child who is experiencing developmental delays, as defined by the State and as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development; and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. The eligibility category may be applicable for children aged three through nine (or any subset of that age range). (34 CFR Sec. 300.8(b)) In New Mexico, developmental delay (DD) is called developmentally delayed and means a child aged 3 through 9 (or who will turn 3 at any time during the school year) with documented delays in development which are at least two standard deviations below the mean on a standardized test instrument or 30 percent below chronological age; and who, in the professional judgment of the IEP team and one or more qualified evaluators, needs special education and related services in at least one of the following areas: communication development, cognitive development, physical development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development. A child with a disability who only needs a related service, as defined under 34 CFR Sec. 300.34, and not special education as defined under 34 CFR Sec. 300.39(a)(2)(i), is not eligible under IDEA, and is not eligible to receive related services.
Resources
Early Childhood Learning Network
Division for Early Childhood (DEC)
National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)
