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Emotional
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
What does it mean if my child is not yet showing rigid routines?
Rigid routines are not a milestone children are meant to reach, so a 3-to-7-year-old who does not show them is usually typical — and often happily flexible and adaptable. Some everyday routine is normal and healthy. What matters more is flexible play, social connection, communication and settling after upset. Seek a developmental check only if you notice extreme distress over tiny changes alongside delays — never as a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing routine adaptability?
At 12–36 months, wanting sameness and resisting change is completely normal — routine adaptability grows slowly with language, play and feeling secure. Seek a developmental check only if rigidity is intense, gets in the way of eating, sleeping, going out or playing, or comes with delays in talking, social connection or strong repetitive play. This is a reason to observe gently, not a diagnosis — early, calm support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing self-awareness?
Between 3 and 7 years, self-awareness — recognising oneself, naming feelings and understanding "I" and "me" — develops gradually and varies widely between children. If your child is not yet showing it strongly, it often means they simply need more time and connected play. Seek a developmental check when weaker self-awareness travels with delays in language, emotional understanding or social connection. This is a reason to look closely, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing self control?
Self-control develops slowly through the early school years because the brain regions that power it mature gradually, so a 3-to-7-year-old still learning to wait, calm and stop is usually right on track. Seek a gentle developmental check if the difficulty is far greater than same-age peers, happens across home, school and play, and gets in the way of friendships or learning — especially alongside constant high activity. This is a reason to observe early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing self-regulation?
Between 12 and 36 months, self-regulation is still developing — tantrums, difficulty waiting and needing your help to calm are normal, because the brain's self-control regions are years from maturing. Seek a developmental check if distress is very intense and constant, causes self-injury or aggression, your child does not seek comfort, or there are delays in talking, play or social connection. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing situational factors?
Between 12 and 36 months, responding to different situations — new places, tired moods, unfamiliar people — is a developing awareness, not a fixed skill to tick off. It is normal if your toddler does not yet adjust smoothly to every change; most grow into this as language and confidence build. Seek a calm developmental check if there is no difference in behaviour across any setting, if distress in new places never settles, or if there are also delays in talking, eye contact, pointing or responding to their name. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing social–emotional skills?
If your 3-to-7-year-old isn't yet showing social-emotional skills like sharing, naming feelings or playing with others, it usually means this area needs more time and warm, guided practice — not a diagnosis. Children develop these skills at very different paces, and most respond well to early, playful support. A developmental check lets a clinician see the full picture and shape support around your child's strengths.
Read the answer AnswerToddler social emotional understanding — what a slow start means
Between 12 and 36 months, social emotional understanding — sharing smiles, reading moods, seeking comfort — develops at very different paces, and a slow start often just means more time and connected play. It is not a diagnosis, but if several signs are slow or fade, a calm developmental check is wise now, because early, playful support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat it means if your child isn't showing stereotyped behaviours
Not showing stereotyped behaviours such as rocking, flapping or spinning is completely typical and not a delay — these movements are not a milestone children must reach. Many toddlers simply never show them. What matters at 12–36 months is steady growth in communication, social connection, play and movement. Seek a developmental check if there are few words, little eye contact, no pointing, no response to name, or loss of a skill — not because repetitive movements are absent.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task persistence?
Between ages 3 and 7, task persistence grows slowly and depends on interest, tiredness and difficulty — short attention and quick task-switching are usually typical. Seek a developmental check if low persistence is marked for your child's age, shows up at home and preschool, and travels with differences in attention, language, play or learning. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat early indicators of Attachment Difficulties should a paediatrician watch for?
Watch for limited comfort-seeking when distressed, muted social reciprocity, abnormal stranger response (withdrawn or indiscriminately familiar), and flat or fearful affect with the caregiver — especially with a history of neglect, maltreatment or disrupted care. Signs are meaningful from around 9 months; refer for developmental and psychosocial assessment rather than reassuring alone.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Childhood Anxiety for Paediatricians
Watch for excessive, persistent, impairing fear or worry out of proportion to age — often presenting somatically (recurrent tummy aches, headaches, sleep disturbance), behaviourally (clinging, avoidance, school refusal, irritability), or cognitively (catastrophic worry). Screen when symptoms persist beyond weeks and impair function across settings.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Developmental Trauma for Paediatricians
Watch for a persistent, cross-setting pattern of arousal dysregulation (hypervigilance or shut-down), attachment differences (indiscriminate friendliness or extreme withdrawal), developmental regression and unexplained somatic complaints — not better explained by a primary neurodevelopmental or medical cause. Any abuse or neglect concern triggers the safeguarding pathway; persistent signs warrant multidisciplinary, trauma-informed assessment.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties
Watch for distress, dysregulation or conduct problems that are persistent, pervasive across home and school, and impairing — not transient stress reactions. Threshold for referral is duration, pervasiveness and functional impairment; act same-day on any self-harm or hopelessness.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Selective Mutism for Paediatricians
Selective Mutism (ICD-11 6B06) presents as consistent failure to speak in specific settings — usually school — despite fluent speech at home. Refer when situational silence persists beyond a month of a new setting, interferes with function, and isn't explained by a language disorder, hearing loss, or unfamiliarity with the language of instruction.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Self-Regulation Difficulties
Watch for poor state regulation in infancy — disorganised sleep and feeding, inconsolable crying, atypical sensory responses — escalating to intense, prolonged meltdowns and slow recovery in toddlerhood. Refer when patterns persist across settings, impair daily life, or coincide with parental concern; only a clinician can profile and confirm.
Read the answer AnswerEarly indicators of Separation Anxiety Disorder for paediatricians
Watch for separation-related fear that is developmentally excessive, persists at least four weeks and causes functional impairment — school refusal, clinging, sleep disruption, nightmares and recurrent unexplained somatic complaints. Distinguish from normative toddler protest and refer when school attendance or daily life is affected.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Attachment Difficulties on a Home Visit
During a home visit, watch how baby and caregiver respond to each other: a baby who rarely seeks or takes comfort, doesn't settle when held, or shows little joy — alongside a caregiver who is flat, harsh or rarely responsive. Look for a persistent pattern, note family stress, reassure, and route to a developmental check — never diagnose on the spot.
Read the answer AnswerWhat early signs of Childhood Anxiety should a frontline health worker look for during a home visit?
On a home visit, look for fear or worry stronger and longer-lasting than expected for age that disrupts sleep, eating, school or play — unexplained tummy aches, extreme clinging, avoidance and constant reassurance-seeking across settings. Persistent distress for several weeks warrants a gentle referral; only a clinician can confirm.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Developmental Trauma on a Home Visit
On a home visit, watch for patterns across visits: a child hard to soothe or oddly withdrawn, frozen watchfulness, disrupted sleep and feeding, stalling milestones, plus an overwhelmed or frightened caregiver. These are signals to support and refer warmly — not to label. Only a qualified clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties During a Home Visit
During a home visit, watch for emotional and behavioural patterns that are more intense, longer-lasting, or earlier than expected for age, and that appear across more than one setting. These signal a gentle referral, never a diagnosis. Persistent parental worry is itself an important early indicator.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Selective Mutism on a Home Visit
On a home visit, look for a child who speaks freely with family but consistently cannot speak to you — freezing, whispering or going silent — with the pattern lasting beyond a month and affecting school or friendships. It is anxiety-based, not shyness or hearing loss; refer when the pattern is clear.
Read the answer AnswerEarly signs of self-regulation difficulties on a home visit
On a home visit, watch for a child who melts down intensely and recovers slowly, is very hard to soothe, can't settle their body or attention, reacts strongly to everyday sensations, and a parent who feels drained. Persistent cross-setting patterns deserve a gentle developmental check — only a clinician can assess, never a doorstep label.
Read the answer AnswerEarly signs of Separation Anxiety Disorder on a home visit
Separation Anxiety Disorder shows as fear of being apart from a caregiver that is far stronger and longer-lasting than usual for the child's age — intense clinging, sleep refusal, worry about harm to parents, and unexplained tummy aches before separations. Refer for a developmental check when distress is severe, lasts beyond about four weeks, and disrupts sleep, school or family life.
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