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Developmental specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
J. Brian Atwood,
J. Brian Atwood
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical developmental specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for developmental specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.1% of developmental specialist resumes contained social work as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a developmental specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 developmental specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Social Work

Here's how developmental specialists use social work:
  • Maintained client based correspondence with Social Workers, Nursing Staff, and Residential Staff.
  • Communicate with social workers, clinicians and guardians on needs and progress of individuals.

2. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how developmental specialists use developmental disabilities:
  • Monitored implementation of Individual Plan and all services provided to the individual in accordance to Developmental Disabilities Policy and HIPAA laws.
  • Provided supports to individuals with developmental disabilities by participating in educational, recreational and leisurely based activities and events.

3. Autism

Here's how developmental specialists use autism:
  • Trained and supported direct care staff in goals developed to build skills and independence for individuals diagnosed with Autism.
  • Provided ongoing training /support for coworkers through consultation to assist work with children with autism spectrum disorders.

4. Intellectual Disabilities

Here's how developmental specialists use intellectual disabilities:
  • Provided one-on-one services to individuals with developmental, physical, and intellectual disabilities and mental illness.
  • Oversee case management services of 45-55 individuals with intellectual disabilities and related conditions.

5. Developmental Delays

Here's how developmental specialists use developmental delays:
  • Delivered developmental screenings to identify potential developmental delays due to health, vision, and hearing issues; determined appropriate recommendations.
  • Performed Denver Developmental Assessments on children ages 0-5 that helped in detecting Developmental Delays.

6. Support Services

Support services are services that support the organization internally and are usually non-revenue generating. Examples include, IT, admin, HR, etc.

Here's how developmental specialists use support services:
  • Provided support services for at-risk families.
  • up Clinic offer clinical and support services.

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7. Early Intervention

Here's how developmental specialists use early intervention:
  • Process initial referrals, schedule and facilitate appointments to help families qualify for Arizona Early Intervention Program.
  • Evaluate children referred to the Arizona Early Intervention Program using established evaluation procedures and standardized assessments.

8. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how developmental specialists use cpr:
  • Certified in CNA, First Aid, CPR, Psychological/Physical Management Training.
  • Obtained MANDT, CPR & First Aid Certification.

9. Children Birth

Here's how developmental specialists use children birth:
  • Provide developmentally appropriate intervention to children birth to age three: gathered information and compiled into reports.
  • Worked in conjunction with other professionals to serve families with children birth to age 3 who demonstrated a developmental delay.

10. Patients

Here's how developmental specialists use patients:
  • Coordinated daily activities for patients and conducted monthly/quarterly reports for individuals in the day program.
  • Increased productivity of Developmental Pediatrics Department by assessing over 1300 patients yearly.

11. Intervention Services

Here's how developmental specialists use intervention services:
  • Performed therapeutic intervention services to developmental disabled individuals using individual and group treatment.
  • Revised intervention services as required to ensure progress toward Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) outcomes.

12. Service Coordination

Service coordination refers to the activities carried out by service coordinators that assist or support families to have better service and assure the rights and procedural safeguards and services authorized under the state. Service coordination is also an advocacy agency that focuses on developmental disabilities to help them have a comfortable life and achieve their goals. They are usually funded by state or organizations to provide some support and comfort to people with disabilities or the underprivileged.

Here's how developmental specialists use service coordination:
  • Provide Developmental Services and Case Management/Service Coordination as described in State of Texas ECI Policies and Procedures.
  • Provide case management and service coordination to families with children age 0 -3 with special needs.

13. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how developmental specialists use mental health:
  • Developed Personal Developmental Health Record (PDHR) for very-low-birth-weight premature infants.
  • Collaborate with community mental health clinicians and psychiatrists in treatment planning.

14. Physical Therapy

Here's how developmental specialists use physical therapy:
  • Assisted Physical Therapy Department with manual therapies and functional rehabilitative techniques for patient population in clinic setting.
  • Demonstrated ability to train and teach others with diverse variety of knowledge about aquatic physical therapy.

15. Adaptive

Here's how developmental specialists use adaptive:
  • Complete Medical / Social evaluations, and evaluate current adaptive living skills.
  • Aided autistic children in meeting their developmental milestones and adaptive skill goals in their home environment including their family dynamic.
top-skills

What skills help Developmental Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on developmental specialist resumes?

J. Brian Atwood

Visiting Scholar in International and Public Affairs, Brown University

A good policy analyst uses empirical data and understands how to utilize modern software systems to summarize and compare data sets. An analyst would be familiar with cultural and historical factors that influence the actors in a diplomatic setting in international relations. Language skills are essential in understanding the nuances of the protagonists' positions in a conflict situation. Objective analysis will lead to the capacity to make strong judgments.

What soft skills should all developmental specialists possess?

J. Brian Atwood

Visiting Scholar in International and Public Affairs, Brown University

The most important "soft" skills are empathy, listening carefully, and interpreting what is presented accurately.

What hard/technical skills are most important for developmental specialists?

J. Brian Atwood

Visiting Scholar in International and Public Affairs, Brown University

In this day and age, computer software programs and language skills are most important.

What type of skills will young developmental specialists need?

Elisha BlanksonElisha Blankson LinkedIn profile

Program Director NCCU, Assistant Professor, North Carolina Central University

Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.

List of developmental specialist skills to add to your resume

Developmental specialist skills

The most important skills for a developmental specialist resume and required skills for a developmental specialist to have include:

  • Social Work
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Autism
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Developmental Delays
  • Support Services
  • Early Intervention
  • CPR
  • Children Birth
  • Patients
  • Intervention Services
  • Service Coordination
  • Mental Health
  • Physical Therapy
  • Adaptive
  • Cleanliness
  • Child Development
  • IFSP
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Incident Reports
  • ABA
  • Community Resources
  • Facilitate Achievement
  • Physical Disabilities
  • ADL
  • Money Management
  • Family Service Plan
  • ISP
  • Supported Living
  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Data Collection
  • Independent Living
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Developmental Therapy
  • Developmental Evaluations
  • Natural Environment
  • Community Integration
  • Assessment Tools
  • Medication Administration
  • Early Childhood Development
  • Parent Support
  • Developmental Assessments
  • Meal Preparation
  • IEP
  • Communication Logs
  • Community Outings
  • Community Agencies

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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