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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
Is Floortime (DIR) Therapy Right for Self-Regulation Difficulties?
Floortime (DIR) can be a strong fit for self-regulation difficulties, especially where emotional connection and engagement are involved, because it builds regulation through warm, child-led, co-regulated play. It is often combined with occupational therapy when sensory processing drives the dysregulation. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Floortime (DIR) the Right Therapy for Social Communication Difficulties?
Floortime (DIR) is often a strong fit for children with social communication difficulties because it builds joyful, two-way emotional connection, shared attention and back-and-forth interaction through child-led play, and is frequently combined with speech and language therapy. Whether it is right for a particular child depends on their profile. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Floortime (DIR) Therapy One-on-One or Group?
Floortime (DIR) therapy is usually delivered one-on-one — one child with a therapist and often a parent — so the adult can follow that child's lead, build warm back-and-forth play and respond to individual differences. Small-group or peer Floortime is typically introduced later, once a child is ready to use these skills with other children. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs group therapy the right therapy for a child with ADHD?
Group therapy can be a valuable part of ADHD support — especially for social skills, turn-taking and self-regulation practised with peers — but it is rarely the whole answer alone. The best plan often blends group work with individual support and family and school strategies. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs group therapy the right therapy for a child with Autism Spectrum?
Group therapy can be a valuable part of an autistic child's plan — especially for social goals like turn-taking, friendships and reading peer cues — but it is rarely the right starting point on its own. Most children first build communication and regulation through one-to-one therapy, then step into a small, well-matched group when ready. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs group therapy the right therapy for a child with childhood anxiety?
Group therapy can be a strong fit for many anxious children — it normalises their worry, lets them practise brave behaviour with peers and learn coping skills together — but it is rarely the whole answer alone and may not suit children with severe anxiety or selective mutism, who often need individual work or a blend first. The right format depends on the child, which is why a tailored assessment matters. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs group therapy the right therapy for a child with social communication difficulties?
Group therapy is often a strong fit for children with social communication difficulties, because turn-taking, reading faces and back-and-forth conversation are best practised with peers. However, it is rarely the whole answer — many children do best with individual therapy first to build core skills, then group work to use them, or a blend of both. The right balance is decided with a clinician. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs group therapy one-on-one or in a group?
Group therapy is delivered in a small group of children, not one-on-one, so they can practise real-world skills like turn-taking, sharing and friendship with peers under therapist guidance. It often runs alongside individual sessions. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Hitting Others a Normal Part of Child Development?
For toddlers and young preschoolers, occasional hitting is a common, developmentally normal stage that reflects big feelings outpacing language and impulse control, and it usually eases with calm, consistent guidance. A closer look helps when hitting is frequent, intense, persistent, or paired with other developmental concerns. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Limited Eye Contact a Normal Part of Child Development?
Brief or limited eye contact is a normal part of child development and varies with age, temperament and situation — babies and toddlers naturally look away to rest, focus or explore. What matters is the overall pattern of connection over time, not any single glance. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Not Playing With Other Children Normal?
For most young children, playing alone or side-by-side rather than with peers is a normal stage of social development — solitary and parallel play come well before cooperative play, which blossoms from around age three. It is worth a gentle developmental check only when paired with signs like little eye contact, not responding to their name, or limited communication. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy suitable for preschoolers?
Play therapy is highly suitable for preschoolers because young children express themselves and learn most naturally through play. A skilled therapist uses toys, pretend and movement to build communication, emotional regulation and social skills in a gentle, child-led, low-pressure way. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy suitable for school-age children?
Play therapy is well suited to school-age children when adapted to their age — using games, story, role-play and creative tasks rather than simple toys. It helps children name emotions, build social and problem-solving skills, and manage anxiety, behaviour or friendship difficulties in a child-led, pressure-free way. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Play Therapy Suitable for Toddlers?
Yes, play therapy is well suited to toddlers because play is their natural way to explore, communicate and learn. A child-led, play-based approach gently builds attention, early communication, emotional regulation and social connection, and often works alongside speech or occupational therapy. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy right for a child with attachment difficulties?
Play therapy can be a strong fit for children with attachment difficulties because play is how young children express feelings and a safe, consistent therapeutic relationship is itself healing — but it usually works best alongside parent- and caregiver-centred relational support rather than alone. The right blend depends on the child's age, history and needs. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy the right therapy for a child with Autism Spectrum?
Play therapy can be a valuable part of supporting an autistic child, building connection, joint attention and early communication through motivating, child-led play — but it rarely works alone. Most children benefit from a tailored blend, often play-based approaches alongside speech and occupational therapy. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy the right therapy for a child with Childhood Anxiety?
Play therapy is often a well-matched, evidence-informed support for childhood anxiety because young children express fears through play before words. It gives a safe space to build coping skills and confidence, and frequently blends with child-friendly cognitive-behavioural strategies, parent coaching and school support. The right fit depends on the child's age and the type and intensity of anxiety. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy the right therapy for a child with developmental trauma?
Play therapy is often an appropriate and effective support for children with developmental trauma, because play is how young children safely process feelings they cannot yet name — rebuilding trust, calming the body and restoring a sense of control. It works best as part of a wider, trauma-informed plan tailored after assessment. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy right for emotional & behavioural difficulties?
Play therapy can be a strong fit for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties because play is how children naturally express and process feelings they cannot yet put into words, building emotional regulation, confidence and calmer behaviour. Whether it is the right primary therapy depends on what is driving the difficulty, so assessment comes first. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy the right therapy for a child with Selective Mutism?
Play therapy can be a helpful part of support for a child with Selective Mutism because it lowers the pressure to speak and builds trust, but it is rarely enough alone. Selective Mutism is anxiety-based, so the most effective plan usually blends anxiety-led behavioural strategies with speech and language input where needed. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy the right therapy for separation anxiety?
Play therapy is often a strong fit for separation anxiety in young children because play lets a child express and rehearse fears they cannot yet voice, building confidence and security; it works best alongside parent coaching and, for some children, structured behavioural approaches chosen by a clinician. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs play therapy usually one-on-one or in a group?
Play therapy is delivered both one-on-one and in small groups, and the choice depends on your child's goals — individual sessions build trust and specific skills, while small groups help practise sharing and friendships, with many children benefiting from a blend over time. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIs Running Off In Public a Normal Part of Child Development?
Running off in public is a very common, largely normal part of toddler and early-preschool development, driven by curiosity, new motor skills and still-maturing impulse control. It usually eases with gentle teaching and supervision, needing a closer look only if it is frequent, fearless of danger, or paired with other developmental concerns. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerSocial skills training for preschoolers
Social skills training is well suited to preschoolers aged roughly 3 to 5, because this is the natural window for sharing, turn-taking and joining play. At this age it is gentle and play-based — games, stories and coaching woven into everyday moments, with parents and preschool involved. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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