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Adaptive
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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
Down Syndrome Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a Down syndrome diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to complete the medical checks your paediatrician advises — especially heart, hearing, vision and thyroid — and to begin early developmental support as soon as you feel ready. Children with Down syndrome learn and thrive, and early, gentle therapy gives every skill its best chance. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do First After a Dyscalculia Diagnosis
After a dyscalculia diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to understand your child's specific number-processing profile, inform the school so accommodations begin, and start structured multisensory maths support while protecting your child's confidence. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDysgraphia Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a dysgraphia diagnosis, the most useful first steps are to understand which part of writing is affected, inform the school so accommodations can begin, protect your child's confidence, and arrange a structured assessment to target support. Dysgraphia is a writing difference, not a measure of intelligence. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was diagnosed with dyslexia — what to do first
After a dyslexia diagnosis, parents should read the assessment report, inform the school to begin accommodations, and start structured, evidence-based literacy support while protecting the child's confidence. Dyslexia is a processing difference, not a measure of intelligence, and children thrive with the right teaching. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do first after an Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties diagnosis
After a diagnosis of emotional and behavioural difficulties, the first steps are to stay calm and protect your relationship with your child, ask the diagnosing professional to explain the patterns plainly, rule out medical and environmental contributors, keep simple notes, and arrange a structured assessment so support is tailored to your child. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do First After a Feeding & Eating Difficulties Diagnosis
After a feeding and eating difficulties diagnosis, your first steps are to stay calm and stop mealtime pressure, see your paediatrician to rule out medical causes and check swallowing safety, book a feeding-focused assessment, and keep mealtimes predictable and shared. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFASD Diagnosis: What To Do First
After an FASD diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to keep the report safe, arrange a full developmental profile to map your child's specific strengths and challenges, build a small steady team of supports over time, talk to the school early, and look after yourself. With early, well-matched support — structure, communication therapy and understanding caregivers — children with FASD build skills and thrive. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFine Motor Delay Diagnosed — What to Do First
After a fine motor delay diagnosis, take three first steps: understand exactly which hand skills are delayed, begin occupational therapy where play builds grip, strength and coordination, and bring short, joyful hand-play into daily routines while keeping your paediatrician informed. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do first after a genetic or chromosomal syndrome diagnosis
After a genetic or chromosomal diagnosis, start by understanding the specific condition from your geneticist, arranging any syndrome-specific health checks with your paediatrician, and beginning an early developmental profile so tailored therapy can begin where it helps. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerGlobal Developmental Delay diagnosed — your first steps
After a Global Developmental Delay diagnosis, your first steps are to complete the medical work-up (including hearing and vision checks), begin early team-based therapy, get a structured developmental profile, and build playful daily practice at home. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerGross Motor Delay diagnosed — what to do first
After a Gross Motor Delay diagnosis, the best first steps are confirming the medical picture with your paediatrician, beginning paediatric physiotherapy to build strength, balance and coordination through play, and weaving movement into everyday routines. Early, consistent support makes a real difference. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was diagnosed with Hearing Impairment — what should I do first?
After a hearing impairment diagnosis, the first steps are to confirm the type and degree of loss with your audiologist and ENT, act promptly on recommended hearing access such as hearing aids or a cochlear implant assessment, and begin communication and listening support early. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHypotonia (Low Muscle Tone): First Steps for Parents
A hypotonia diagnosis is a starting point for support, not a limit on your child's future. The first steps are to ask your paediatrician what is causing the low tone, begin paediatric physiotherapy and occupational therapy to build strength and movement, watch feeding and breathing, and keep your child active through daily play. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was diagnosed with Intellectual Disability — what should I do first?
After a diagnosis of Intellectual Disability, the most helpful first steps are to understand the report calmly, review your child's health, and begin an early, strengths-based support plan blending adaptive-skills work, speech and occupational therapy, and school collaboration. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMotor Planning Difficulties: What to Do First
After a diagnosis of motor planning difficulties, take three first steps: understand that this is a brain-based difficulty with planning movement (not effort or intelligence), arrange a structured occupational-therapy and developmental assessment so support is precisely targeted, and begin gentle, repeated, playful practice at home. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed as non-verbal / minimally verbal — what should I do first?
After a non-verbal or minimally verbal diagnosis, the first step is to begin communication support straightaway alongside a structured developmental profile, using a total-communication approach — speech, gestures, pictures and AAC. Offering AAC does not delay speech and often encourages it. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with ODD — what to do first
After an ODD diagnosis, first steps are to understand what the diagnosis means, protect your own calm, and connect with a clinician for a practical plan. ODD responds well to parent management training and behavioural therapy rather than punishment, and often sits alongside ADHD or anxiety that should also be understood. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerPersistent Toe-Walking: What to Do First
After a persistent toe-walking diagnosis, the most useful first step is to confirm the cause — whether a tight calf, a sensory preference, or an underlying reason — through a structured physiotherapy and developmental review, then begin early, gentle support if advised. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFirst steps after a Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk note
Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk is not a diagnosis but a reason for closer developmental monitoring; many premature children thrive. First steps: use corrected age, keep high-risk follow-up appointments, protect the developmental basics, and arrange a gentle developmental check so any early support begins when it helps most. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerRett Syndrome Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a Rett Syndrome diagnosis, the first steps are to understand the diagnosis with your specialist, build a coordinated medical and therapy team, and begin supportive therapies that protect movement, communication and comfort — including AAC and eye-gaze communication. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerSchool Readiness Gap — First Steps for Parents
A school readiness gap means a child needs more time and support to build foundational classroom skills — attention, language, fine-motor, self-help and social play — not that they cannot succeed. The first steps are to understand which skills need support, begin early play-based help, and partner with the school. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerSelective Mutism — What Should I Do First?
Selective mutism is a treatable anxiety-based condition — your child can speak but anxiety silences them in certain settings. The most helpful first step is to remove all pressure to talk, allow any form of communication, inform the school early, and begin structured, graded speech-language therapy promptly. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerSelf-Regulation Difficulties — Your First Steps as a Parent
After a self-regulation difficulties diagnosis, pause and reframe — it is a teachable skill, not a flaw. Keep the report and a diary of triggers, build calm predictable routines and co-regulation at home, book a structured developmental assessment, and involve school. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do first after a Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity diagnosis
After a diagnosis of Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity, take three first steps: make mealtimes calm and pressure-free, ask your paediatrician to check growth and rule out medical factors, and book a feeding assessment so a therapist can map why your child refuses foods. Support is gentle and child-led, steadily widening accepted foods. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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