developmental disorder

noun

plural developmental disorders

: a condition (such as autism spectrum disorder or dyslexia) that is typically marked by delayed development or impaired function especially in learning, language, communication, cognition, behavior, socialization, or mobility : developmental disability

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a group of developmental disorders that include a wide range of symptoms, skills and levels of disability.

—Meredith Moss

Examples of developmental disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Embryo models—that is, embryos created using stem cells—could provide a real alternative for studying some of the hardest problems in human development, unlocking crucial details about, say, what causes miscarriages and developmental disorders. —Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024

Children who do not attend their well-child visits are more likely to go to the emergency room, skip key vaccinations, and miss out on early interventions for developmental disorders. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024

The disruption of these protein patterns is at the core of many cancers and developmental disorders. —Scott Coyle, The Conversation, 31 May 2024

But Gainer’s developmental disorder heightened the emotions of the typical argument, Lacy said. —Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

developmental disorder

noun

: a condition (such as autism spectrum disorder or dyslexia) that is typically marked by delayed development or impaired function especially in learning, language, communication, cognition, behavior, socialization, or mobility : developmental disability