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Concern
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
When to Worry About Stereotyped Movements at 6–9 Months
At 6–9 months, rhythmic repetitive movements like rocking, hand-flapping and gentle head-banging are very common and usually normal self-soothing or motor exploration. Stereotyped Movement Disorder (ICD-11 6A06) is not diagnosed at this age. Watch the whole picture — eye contact, babble, milestones — and seek prompt review only if movements cause injury, your baby seems unresponsive during them, or skills are lost. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess; never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Tourette Syndrome in my 6-to-9-month-old?
Tourette Syndrome cannot be identified in a 6-to-9-month-old — tics that define it typically begin at ages 4 to 6, with diagnosis usually confirmed around 6 to 8 years and requiring motor and vocal tics for over a year. A baby's jerky, repetitive movements are normal development. At this age, track everyday milestones like babbling, sitting and social connection. Any seizure-like movements need prompt paediatric review, and only a Pinnacle clinician can assess — never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about visual impairment at 6-9 months
By 6 to 9 months most babies make eye contact, follow moving objects and reach for what they see. See a paediatrician or eye specialist promptly if your baby doesn't make eye contact, doesn't follow faces or objects, has eyes that constantly turn or jiggle, or shows a white pupil reflection in photos. These signs warrant a prompt medical check, not waiting — many causes are very treatable when caught early. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have ADHD?
Many six-year-olds are restless and forgetful — that alone isn't ADHD. Worry is warranted when inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity is stronger than peers, lasts six months or more, and shows up both at home and school, affecting daily life. Only a clinician can confirm it.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Attachment Difficulties at 6?
At six, occasional clinginess or wobbles after a big change are usually normal. Worry — and seek a clinician's check — when patterns persist for months across home and school and clearly affect how your child connects, settles or copes: indiscriminate friendliness, difficulty accepting comfort, or anxious closeness paired with shutdown. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about auditory processing difficulties at 6?
At six, watch for a persistent pattern: a child who hears normally yet struggles to make sense of speech — frequent "what?", trouble in noisy rooms, muddled multi-step instructions, mishearing similar words. The flag is consistency across home and school affecting learning. Always rule out hearing loss first; a clinician decides what's underneath.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 6-year-old might have autism?
By six, you have enough everyday evidence to act on. A persistent pattern of social-communication differences, strong need for sameness, and sensory sensitivities — across home and school — is worth a check. Worry is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis; only a clinician can confirm autism.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is almost always recognised in infancy or the toddler years, not first at age six, because its hallmark is how a child moves. In a 6-year-old, watch for long-standing movement and coordination difficulties — but a sudden new change needs prompt medical review. Only a clinician can confirm anything.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Childhood Anxiety?
Some worry is normal and healthy at six. The time to pay closer attention is when worry is persistent (most days for weeks), out of proportion, and starts affecting sleep, school, friendships or everyday joy — especially with avoidance, physical complaints or separation distress. A persistent pattern across settings deserves a gentle clinical check; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry your 6-year-old has Childhood Apraxia of Speech
By six, most children are clearly understood by unfamiliar listeners. Worry — and seek a speech-language assessment — if your child is still very hard to understand, says the same word differently each attempt, gropes visibly to start words, or speaks with choppy, uneven rhythm despite understanding language well. These signal a check, not a diagnosis; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Childhood Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a medical condition, so a real concern should be reviewed promptly by a paediatrician or paediatric neurologist, not a therapy programme first. Worry — and act — if your 6-year-old has recurring unexplained episodes: blank absence stares, stiffening or jerking, sudden falls, or repetitive movements they can't control. Note timing and what you saw, and film an episode if safe. A single event still merits review but is not a diagnosis; only a clinician can confirm childhood epilepsy.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about my 6-year-old's sleep?
A six-year-old's occasional bad night is normal. Worry — and seek review — when sleep problems persist most nights for weeks, affect daytime mood, learning or behaviour, or come with loud snoring or breathing pauses, which need prompt medical review. Childhood sleep difficulties are common and treatable.
Read the answer AnswerConduct-Dissocial Disorder in a 6-year-old: when to worry
At six, most defiance, anger and rule-breaking is developmentally normal and softens with consistent, warm guidance. Conduct-Dissocial Disorder is rarely and cautiously applied this young, only by a clinician over time. Worry less about the label and more about a persistent, months-long pattern that genuinely harms relationships, learning or safety — and if you see that, seek a developmental and behavioural review, not a self-diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about DCD in my 6-year-old?
At 6, it is reasonable to seek a developmental check when your child is markedly clumsier than peers, struggles to learn everyday motor skills like writing, dressing or catching, and this persistently affects schoolwork, play or self-care. These are reasons to assess — not a diagnosis — because early, function-focused support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Developmental Language Disorder?
At six, the time to seek a check for Developmental Language Disorder is when language difficulties persist into the school years — trouble following instructions, telling a simple story, finding words, or being understood by others. These aren't a diagnosis but good reasons for a structured assessment, since support at this age strongly helps learning and confidence. A hearing check is a sensible first step.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Developmental Regression in my 6-year-old?
At six years a genuine loss of established skills — speaking, reading, toileting, walking or social warmth a child clearly had — is always worth prompt attention, not a wait-and-see. This differs from a tired patch or a wobble after starting school. Sudden loss, loss across several areas, or loss alongside seizures or unusual movements needs prompt medical review to find any underlying cause.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Developmental Trauma at 6?
Developmental trauma is the lasting effect of overwhelming early stress on a young child's safety, emotions and relationships. At six, worry is warranted when distress is persistent over weeks, shows across home and school, and disrupts settling, learning or trusting — especially after a known stressful event. It is a reason to see a clinician, never to self-diagnose.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Down Syndrome?
Down syndrome is present from birth and identified at or soon after birth, not newly at age six. If your child reached six without it, it is very unlikely now. What you're noticing is likely a learning or speech difference worth a general developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 6-year-old has dyscalculia?
At six, wobbly counting, finger-counting and reversed digits are usually normal — a dyscalculia label is rarely meaningful this young because maths skills are still settling. Watch for a persistent, surprising gap where numbers are uniquely hard despite good teaching and effort. That is a reason to monitor and seek a developmental check, never a diagnosis; formal identification usually comes around ages 7–8.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 6-year-old has dysgraphia?
At six, effortful or messy writing is largely normal as handwriting is still being mastered. Dysgraphia (ICD-11 6A03.1) becomes a concern when the difficulty is persistent, clearly behind peers, and there's a striking gap between rich spoken ideas and what reaches the page — especially if writing exhausts or upsets him. Watch the pattern over months across home and school, and seek a clinician's check; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Dyslexia in my 6-year-old?
At six, a slow start to reading is common and rarely alarming on its own. Dyslexia becomes a real concern when reading and spelling difficulties are persistent, surprising given the child's clear thinking elsewhere, and not improving despite good teaching. Age six is the right time to watch closely and seek a check if several flags cluster and last beyond a couple of school terms.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties at 6
At six, occasional meltdowns, defiance and worries are normal. The time to look more closely at Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties is when the pattern is persistent (weeks to months), pervasive (home and school), and disruptive to friendships, learning or wellbeing. A one-off rough patch isn't a worry — a steady, settled pattern that isn't easing deserves a gentle clinician check.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about feeding & eating difficulties in my 6-year-old?
Ordinary fussiness in a six-year-old usually eases with patient, pressure-free meals. It becomes worth a clinician's check when eating problems are persistent and affect growth, nutrition or daily life — a very narrow diet, sensory-based gagging or refusal, faltering weight, or distressing mealtimes. These are reasons to observe and ask, never a diagnosis; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about FASD in a 6-year-old
FASD relates to alcohol exposure during pregnancy, so it is only a meaningful concern if there was known or possible prenatal alcohol use. At six, seek a developmental review when learning, attention, memory, social understanding or self-control are clearly harder than for peers — this is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis, and early support helps most.
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