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Asq3
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with asq3.
152 published answers · English · Page 3
Signs & concerns
Is It Normal That My Toddler Is Not Yet Walking?
Most toddlers walk independently between 12 and 18 months, with a wide healthy range. Not yet walking can be perfectly normal, especially in cautious explorers and bottom-shufflers. Arrange a gentle developmental check if there are no independent steps by 18 months, no weight-bearing, a strong one-sided preference, loss of a skill, or other delays. This is reassurance, not a diagnosis — early observation always helps.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing coordination?
In toddlers (1–3 years), coordination develops over a wide normal range, so "not yet" usually means a skill simply hasn't emerged — not a diagnosis. Keep watching everyday milestones like walking, stacking and self-feeding, and arrange a gentle developmental check if several seem delayed, a skill is lost, or you feel something is off. Early, playful support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child isn't showing emotional regulation yet?
Between 12 and 36 months, emotional regulation is still developing, so tantrums, meltdowns and needing you to settle them are normal and expected. A developmental check is wise if upsets are unusually frequent or intense for your child's age, very hard to soothe even with help, or come alongside delays in talking, connecting or playing. This is a reason to look gently and act early — not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerToddler emotional understanding: what it means and when to check
Across 12–36 months, emotional understanding develops gradually — most toddlers show it through copying your moods, seeking comfort and reacting to tone long before they name feelings. A child not yet naming emotions is usually typical. Seek a gentle developmental check if limited emotional response travels with delays in talking, eye contact, shared play or responding to their name. This is a reason to screen early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing expressive language?
Expressive language is how a child gets words out, and there is a wide normal range between 12 and 36 months. Many late talkers catch up, especially with rich everyday talk and play. If your child is not yet using words at the expected ages, it is a good time for a gentle developmental screen — not a diagnosis. Strong understanding is reassuring, and early support works very well at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing foot control?
"Foot control" means how well your toddler uses their feet and ankles for kicking, balancing, tiptoeing and confident walking. Between 12 and 36 months these skills appear at different rates, so one missing skill is rarely a worry. Seek a friendly developmental check — not a diagnosis — if several leg-and-foot milestones are clearly behind, movement is very stiff or floppy, your child favours one side, or has lost a skill once had. Early observation means earlier support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing head control?
Steady head control usually settles by 4–6 months, so if your child is past their first birthday and still not holding their head up reliably, a gentle developmental check is wise now. It is not a diagnosis — it means a clinician should look at muscle tone, strength and overall movement, because early support works best. Flags include a floppy or stiff feel, head lagging when pulled to sit, other motor delays, or loss of a skill once present.
Read the answer AnswerToddler Not Imitating Yet: What It Means
Imitation is how toddlers learn — by copying gestures, sounds and actions. Most begin around 9–12 months and copy words and play more by 18–24 months. If your toddler isn't yet imitating, it's a reason to observe and arrange a developmental check, not a diagnosis. Because imitation is tied to attention, social connection and early language, early play-based support helps most.
Read the answer AnswerWhat it means if your child is not yet jumping
Jumping with both feet off the floor usually appears between 2 and 2½ years, with wide normal variation. A younger toddler, or one busy mastering running and climbing, is rarely a worry. Seek a friendly developmental check if by about 30 months your child still cannot jump and also seems behind on other big-body skills, or simply for reassurance. This is not a diagnosis — it is an early, calm look so support starts when it works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing nonverbal communication?
Nonverbal communication — pointing, waving, eye contact, showing you things — usually appears between 9 and 18 months, before words. If your toddler isn't yet showing these, it isn't a diagnosis; it means a gentle developmental check is wise now, because these gestures are the foundation words grow from and early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing rotational control?
If your toddler isn't yet showing rotational control — turning, rolling and twisting smoothly — it usually means this movement skill is still developing, not that something is wrong. Children build rotation at their own pace. Seek a developmental check if rotation lags clearly behind other movements, if the trunk seems very stiff or floppy, or if your instinct says something is off — not as a diagnosis, but because early observation helps.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing running?
Most toddlers start running between 18 and 24 months, after a few months of steady walking. A child walking confidently but not yet running is often simply on their own timeline. Seek a developmental check if your child is past 2 and not walking well, has lost a skill, falls very often, or shows big-body delays alongside delays in talking or playing — this means early observation, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing sitting balance?
Sitting balance usually settles by 6–9 months, so if your toddler is not yet sitting steadily on their own, it's wise to arrange a developmental check — not as alarm, but because sitting is a foundation for crawling, standing and play. This is a reason to assess early, never a diagnosis. With gentle, play-based support most children build this skill beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing social play?
Social play — sharing, turn-taking and pretend games — usually develops between 3 and 7 years across a wide, normal range. If your child shows little interest in other children, rarely pretends or takes turns, or strongly prefers playing alone past their peers, it isn't a diagnosis — it simply means a friendly developmental check is wise now, because early playful support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing squatting balance?
If your toddler isn't yet showing squatting balance, it usually means this gross-motor skill is still developing — not a diagnosis. Most children begin squatting to play around 14–18 months and grow steadier through their second and third year. Watch it alongside walking, leg strength and overall movement; a check is wise if several motor skills lag together, muscles seem very stiff or floppy, or a skill is lost.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing standing balance?
Standing balance is holding a steady upright stance without toppling — most children stand briefly alone by about 12 months and grow steadier through the second year. If your toddler isn't yet showing it, their muscles, core and inner-ear systems are likely still maturing — not a sign something is wrong, but a good reason for a gentle developmental check, since early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat if my child isn't showing tiptoe walking?
Tiptoe walking is not a milestone your child needs to reach — many toddlers never tiptoe, and that is completely typical. Between 12 and 36 months, what matters is steady, flat-footed walking, not toe-walking. A child not showing tiptoe walking is almost always doing exactly what we'd hope. Concern relates to persistent toe-walking beyond age 2–3 or to not walking at all by 18 months, not to its absence.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with balance?
Between 12 and 36 months, toddlers are naturally unsteady, but signs that may suggest balance support include frequent falls beyond age expectations, very wide-legged or persistent tiptoe walking, avoiding stairs and uneven ground, and difficulty standing on one foot or stopping and turning without toppling. These are signs to observe and monitor, not to diagnose at home. A pattern that persists or widens, balance clearly behind peers, or any sudden loss of a skill should prompt a developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with coordination?
For a toddler aged roughly 1–3 years, signs that coordination may need support include frequent stumbling or bumping, difficulty stacking blocks or self-feeding, trouble climbing stairs or kicking a ball, unusually stiff or floppy movement, and being well behind playmates in walking, running and using both hands. Some wobble is normal at this age, so these are signs to observe and monitor — not to diagnose at home. Seek a developmental check when a gap persists or widens across months or affects more than one area.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with emotional understanding?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs a toddler may need support with emotional understanding include rarely checking your face for reassurance, little response to others' feelings, few words or gestures for emotions by age 2, and meltdowns that are unusually frequent, intense or hard to soothe for their age. Emotional skills grow at very different paces, so these are signs to observe and share with your doctor, not to diagnose at home. A warm developmental screen is the kindest first step, and early playful support never has to wait for a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with foot control?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs your toddler may need support with foot control include not walking by around 18 months, constant toe-walking, ankles turning in or out, frequent tripping, or a clear difference between the two feet. Most toddlers find their feet with time, so these are signs to observe and screen — not diagnose at home. A simple developmental screen and a paediatric review come first, and early playful support helps when it's needed.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with head control?
By the toddler years most children hold their head steady and upright with ease. Signs worth watching include a head that still tips, lags or wobbles when sitting or held upright, always turning to one side with a tight neck, and a body that feels very floppy or unusually stiff. These are signs to observe and share with your doctor — not to diagnose at home — because steady head control underpins sitting, crawling and walking. A prompt, gentle review is best when the pattern persists past 12 months.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imitation skills?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs a toddler may need imitation support include rarely copying gestures like waving or clapping, little interest in games such as peekaboo or pat-a-cake, not mimicking sounds or words, and limited pretend play by age 2. Many toddlers vary in pace, so these are signs to observe and discuss — not to diagnose at home. A pattern that persists or appears alongside speech or social delays is best understood through an early developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with non verbal?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs a toddler may need communication support include few or no words by 16–18 months, limited pointing, gestures or eye contact to share interest, little babbling, not responding to their name, and rarely copying sounds or actions. Toddlers vary widely, so these are signs to observe and check early — not to diagnose at home. A hearing check comes first, and gentle play-based support never has to wait for a label.
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