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Toddler
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with toddler.
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Signs & concerns
What signs suggest my child may need support with sleep and restlessness?
Signs that a toddler may need support with sleep and restlessness include taking a long time to settle most nights, frequent night waking, very short or broken sleep, constant fidgeting even when tired, and daytime irritability or over-activity after poor sleep. Snoring or breathing pauses deserve a doctor's review. These are signs to observe and share — not to diagnose at home. Toddler sleep varies widely, and small, steady routine changes often help.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social emotional understanding?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs your toddler may need support with social emotional understanding include limited eye contact or shared smiles, little interest in others, rarely looking to you for comfort or to share excitement, very hard-to-settle big feelings, and slow growth in pretend play and imitation. Toddlers vary widely, so these are signs to observe and monitor — not diagnose at home. Any steady concern across several months, or more than one area affected, is best gently checked early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social imagination?
Social imagination is a toddler's growing ability to pretend, share an imaginary world, and sense others' feelings. Gentle signs to watch (1–3 years) include little or no pretend play, using toys in fixed ways like spinning or lining up rather than feeding a doll, not copying everyday actions, and difficulty joining another child's game. Toddlers vary widely, so these are signs to observe and share — not diagnose at home. A short developmental screen, plus a hearing check, is the kind first step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social interaction?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs your toddler may need support with social interaction include limited eye contact, rarely sharing smiles or pointing to show you things, little interest in other children, not responding to their name, and few gestures like waving or clapping. Toddlers vary widely, so these are signs to observe and share — not diagnose at home. If several appear together or persist over weeks, a gentle developmental screen is the kindest next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social play?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs your child may need support with social play can include little interest in joining other children, difficulty taking turns or sharing, struggling to follow simple game rules, rarely pretending in play, and frustration or withdrawal during co-operative play. Children vary widely, so these are signs to observe and gently support, not to diagnose at home. If a pattern persists across several months or several settings, a friendly developmental check offers clarity.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social referencing?
Social referencing is when a toddler checks a trusted adult's face or voice to know how to feel or act in uncertain moments. Between 12 and 36 months, signs worth watching include rarely glancing at you when unsure, not following your gaze or point, limited sharing of expressions, and little change in behaviour from your reassurance. These are signs to observe and screen — not to diagnose at home — and early, play-based support helps.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social – sharing?
Between 3 and 7 years, sharing and turn-taking develop unevenly, and squabbles are normal. Signs worth observing include rarely playing with other children, big distress at waiting or sharing, little interest in friends, and trouble noticing others' feelings — especially when these persist over many months. These are things to monitor gently, not diagnose at home. A friendly developmental screen can explain the why behind the behaviour and open early, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with social skills?
Between 12 and 36 months, social skills are still developing, so most early wobbles are normal. Signs worth watching include little eye contact or shared smiles, not pointing to share interest, limited response to their name, very little pretend or side-by-side play, and difficulty copying or noticing others. These are cues to observe and monitor — not to diagnose at home — and any concern is best raised early with a developmental team, often starting with a hearing check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with squatting balance?
Between 12 and 36 months most toddlers learn to squat to play and stand again without support. Signs a child may need help include needing to hold on to squat or rise, frequent wobbling or toppling, avoiding squatting, very stiff or floppy legs, or one-sided weakness. These are signs to observe and monitor, not diagnose at home — a quick developmental screen brings reassurance and, if needed, early play-based support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with stair climbing?
Between about 3 and 7 years, children progress from climbing stairs one foot per step (holding on) to alternating feet and eventually without support. Signs to observe include still needing both feet on each step well past 3–4 years, always gripping tightly, frequent stumbling or fear, legs that tire or buckle quickly, or losing a skill once gained. These are signs to monitor, not diagnose at home — a quick developmental screen can clarify whether playful strength and balance support would help.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with standing balance?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs that a toddler may need support with standing balance include not pulling to stand by ~12 months or standing alone by ~15–18 months, frequent falls that don't ease with practice, a very wide or stiff stance, leaning heavily on furniture long after walking, or always favouring one side. Many wobbles are normal learning, so these are signs to observe and screen — not to diagnose at home. A screen is worthwhile if a child hasn't stood alone by 18 months, loses a skill, or a parent simply senses something is off.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with stereotyped behaviours?
Stereotyped behaviours such as hand-flapping, rocking, spinning or lining up objects are common and often harmless in young children. Signs your child may benefit from support include behaviours that are frequent, hard to interrupt, interfere with learning or play, cause distress or harm, or appear alongside social and communication differences. These are signs to observe and discuss with a developmental team, not to diagnose at home — and early, gentle support never has to wait for a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with sustained attention?
Between 12 and 36 months, short, darting attention is completely normal — a toddler who flits is usually typical. Watch gently if your child almost never settles even briefly on a toy or story, can't be drawn back with warm coaxing, and shows this across every setting over several months, often alongside other concerns. These are cues to observe and screen, not to diagnose at home — and far too early to label as ADHD. Start with a hearing check and a developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with task completion?
Between about 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with task completion include starting activities but rarely finishing, drifting off mid-task, needing constant reminders, avoiding multi-step jobs, and forgetting what they were doing. On their own these are normal for young children; what matters is a pattern that persists across several months and shows up in more than one setting. These are signs to observe and gently support, not to diagnose at home — a calm developmental screen is the sensible next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with tiptoe walking?
Many toddlers toe-walk some of the time and it often settles on its own. Signs that may suggest a need for support include toe-walking most of the time past age 2, tight calves or heels that won't reach the floor, frequent tripping, one-sided toe-walking, or toe-walking alongside delays in speech, play or movement. These are reasons to observe and check with your paediatrician — not to diagnose at home, since most cases resolve and gentle, play-based support helps early when needed.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with understanding?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs your child may need support with understanding can include not responding to their name, difficulty following simple instructions, not pointing to named objects, and tuning out speech. Comprehension usually grows ahead of talking, so toddlers vary in pace — these are signs to observe and monitor, not diagnose at home. A hearing check is always a worthwhile first step. If a pattern persists or several areas are affected, a gentle developmental screen is the kindest next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with verbal communication?
By 12–36 months, signs your child may need support with verbal communication include very few or no words by 18 months, not combining two words by around 24 months, speech that is hard to understand, and limited pointing, gesturing or responding to their name. One or two signs are common and often resolve, but several together — or skills that plateau or slip — are worth a gentle developmental screen. A hearing check usually comes first. None of this is a diagnosis; it is simply a kind reason to look together early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with verbal knowledge?
Between about 12 and 36 months, signs that a toddler may need support with verbal knowledge include slow vocabulary growth, trouble understanding or following simple words, not pointing to or naming familiar things, and seeming puzzled by everyday questions. Toddlers vary widely, so these are signs to observe and monitor, not diagnose at home. A hearing check comes first, then a gentle developmental screen gives clear answers early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with vestibular processing?
Signs a toddler may need support with vestibular processing include either strongly seeking intense movement (spinning, crashing, never still, rarely dizzy) or avoiding it (fear of swings, slides, being tipped back, head movement), plus frequent tripping, poor balance and clumsiness. These are patterns to observe and explore, not diagnose at home. When they appear most days and disrupt play or routines, a developmental screen is the kind next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with visual processing?
Signs a child (about 3–7 years) may need visual-processing support include trouble copying shapes or letters, losing place on a page, bumping into things, difficulty finding objects in clutter, letter reversals past age 6–7, and quick fatigue during puzzles or drawing. A child can see clearly and still find this hard, so check eyesight first, then observe whether difficulties persist across settings. These are signs to explore gently, not diagnose at home — a structured screen helps map strengths and support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with visual reception?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs your toddler may need support with visual reception (understanding what they see) include not searching for hidden toys, little interest in pictures or books, difficulty matching same-with-same or shapes, and not pointing to named objects. A vision and hearing check comes first, since these are common and treatable. These are signs to observe and gently screen — not to diagnose at home — and early, play-based support works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with visual spatial processing?
In toddlers, early signs that visual spatial processing may need support include frequently bumping into things, misjudging distances or steps, trouble with shape-sorters and stacking, and seeming lost in familiar spaces. At this age these are signs to observe and monitor warmly, not diagnose at home. Vision and hearing checks come first, and any persistent pattern is best discussed with your paediatrician and a developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with vocabulary comprehension and expression?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs your child may need support with vocabulary comprehension and expression include understanding very few words or instructions, a small or slow-growing spoken vocabulary, not pointing to name or request, and rarely combining words by around 2 years. These are signs to observe and check — not to diagnose at home. A hearing check comes first, and early playful support works well when started soon.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with vocalisation development?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs your toddler may need support with vocalisation include very little babbling or few different sounds, not combining sounds into early words by around 15–18 months, little sound back-and-forth with you, a strained or hoarse voice, or any loss of sounds or words once gained. These are signs to observe and check, not to diagnose at home, and a hearing check is a sensible first step.
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