Atraso no desenvolvimento: a imprecis？o de um termo

the present research addresses the absence of a theoretical delimitation of the term developmental delay. since it is a commonly used term amongst child care professionals, it was considered important to know notions of the term that are held by different professionals who are often in the presence of children who may bear it. for this purpose, a questionnaire was designed, which amongst other items, asks professionals to identify criteria, characteristics and causes of developmental delay; and explores their use of term and self-efficacy？s perceptions when dealing with a possible case of developmental delay. the analysis of the answers obtained in a group of 114 professionals (special teachers, psychologists, social workers and paediatricians) evidenced the difficulty in developing a common language amongst professionals using the term, its general and vague nature and a trend towards its indiscriminate application.