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Concern
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with concern.
3,122 published answers · English · Page 13
Signs & concerns
What to do if a child isn't yet showing word knowledge
Word knowledge — understanding what words mean — usually grows before clear speech, so a child who comprehends but says little is often on their own path. Keep naming, talking and reading through the day, watch for response to name and following simple requests, and arrange a calm developmental check rather than wait. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing working memory: a caregiver's guide
Working memory — holding information in mind to use moments later — develops gradually, so a young child not yet showing it is often simply early on a normal path. Caregivers can help most through memory-rich play, simple one-or-two-step instructions, and noticing patterns over weeks. Seek a developmental check if a child consistently loses track of simple instructions far beyond peers, or this travels with delays in talking, attention or learning. This is reason to observe early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerAt what age should my child have a first developmental screening?
Developmental screening begins in infancy and continues as a rhythm of check-ins. Trusted paediatric guidance recommends broad developmental screening at the 9-, 18- and 24-or-30-month well-child visits, with autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months, plus gentle monitoring at every visit in between. Screening does not diagnose — it shows whether a supportive closer look would help. If you ever have a concern at any age, that is reason enough to screen sooner; you never need to wait.
Read the answer AnswerAttachment difficulties: when to refer a child
Reactive attachment difficulties arise from insufficient, disrupted early caregiving. Refer when a child rarely seeks or responds to comfort, shows minimal social-emotional responsiveness, or has unexplained fearfulness during ordinary care — against a history of disrupted care. Distinguish from autism.
Read the answer AnswerCan you tell if a newborn has autism?
A newborn cannot be diagnosed with autism — social communication develops over the first years. The earliest signs appear around 9–18 months. In the newborn weeks, focus on hearing screening, feeding, bonding and routine checks, and look for autism signs later.
Read the answer AnswerCan ADHD be cured?
ADHD isn't "cured" like an infection — but it is highly manageable. With early, consistent support, routines, skill-building and sometimes medication, children learn to channel ADHD and thrive. Any diagnosis is made only by a Pinnacle clinician.
Read the answer AnswerCan ADHD be prevented?
ADHD cannot be reliably prevented and is not caused by parenting — it is a largely genetic neurodevelopmental difference. Good antenatal care and healthy routines support development, but the real power lies in early recognition and support. Only a clinician can assess it.
Read the answer AnswerCan Attachment Difficulties be cured?
Attachment difficulties aren't a disease to be "cured" — they're learned patterns that are deeply changeable. With consistent, warm, responsive care and relationship-focused support, children can build secure, trusting bonds. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess what your child needs.
Read the answer AnswerCan Attachment Difficulties Be Prevented?
Largely, yes. Healthy attachment is built through warm, consistent, responsive care — and you don't need to be perfect, only "good enough". Supporting the caregiver and keeping continuity of care are protective. Only a clinician can assess any genuine concern.
Read the answer AnswerCan Auditory Processing Difficulties be cured?
Auditory Processing Difficulties aren't an illness to be cured, but a way the brain handles sound — and with listening therapy, environment changes and learned strategies, most children improve markedly. The brain is adaptable, early help works best, and only a clinician can confirm what's happening.
Read the answer AnswerCan Auditory Processing Difficulties be prevented?
Auditory Processing Difficulties can't always be prevented, because they often reflect how the listening brain develops. But you can lower risk and support it — treat ear infections promptly, protect hearing, and fill the day with rich, responsive talk. APD is never a parenting failure, and a check is the hopeful next step.
Read the answer AnswerCan Autism Spectrum Be Cured?
Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference, not an illness, so it is not "cured" — but with early, consistent, strengths-first therapy children make remarkable gains in communication, learning and independence. Beware any product promising a cure. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess and guide.
Read the answer AnswerCan Autism Spectrum Be Prevented?
Autism cannot be "prevented" — it is a genetic, brain-based difference, not caused by parenting, screens or vaccines, so there is no blame to carry. What truly changes outcomes is early recognition and early support. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess and diagnose.
Read the answer AnswerCan not sitting still be an early sign of a developmental concern?
For most 2-to-7-year-olds, finding it hard to sit still is normal — young children learn through movement, and on its own it is not a developmental concern. Seek a gentle developmental check if the restlessness is far beyond same-age peers across many settings, doesn't ease when calm, affects safety, learning or sleep, or comes with delays in talking, listening or connecting with others. This is a reason to observe early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerCan Cerebral Palsy Be Cured?
Cerebral palsy has no cure because the early brain difference is permanent — but it is not progressive, and a child's abilities can improve greatly with early, consistent therapy. Many children with CP walk, talk, learn and thrive. The goal is growing independence, not erasing the condition. Diagnosis and planning happen only with a qualified clinician.
Read the answer AnswerCan Cerebral Palsy Be Prevented?
Some causes of Cerebral Palsy can be reduced through good antenatal care, safe delivery and prompt newborn treatment — but not every case can be prevented, and it is never a parent's fault. Where it has occurred, early support helps the developing brain adapt. Only a clinician can assess and guide.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Anxiety Be Cured?
Childhood anxiety is highly treatable. Rather than a one-time cure, think of it as something children learn to manage and outgrow — with early, evidence-based support, most go on to feel calm and confident. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess your child.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Anxiety Be Prevented?
Childhood anxiety can't always be fully prevented — temperament plays a part — but you can meaningfully lower the risk and build resilience through safe challenges, calm feeling-talk, steady routines and modelling coping. Early support works very well. Only a clinician can assess whether worry has become a disorder.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Apraxia of Speech be cured?
Childhood Apraxia of Speech is highly treatable rather than "cured" overnight. With frequent, child-specific speech therapy, most children make strong, lasting gains and many become clear communicators. Only a clinician can confirm CAS and design the right plan.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Apraxia of Speech be prevented?
You almost certainly could not have prevented Childhood Apraxia of Speech — and it is not caused by anything you did. It is a motor-planning difficulty in the brain. The real power lies not in prevention but in early identification and specialist speech therapy, which can transform a child's clarity and confidence over time.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Epilepsy Be Cured?
Many children with epilepsy become seizure-free, and some self-limited childhood epilepsies are outgrown entirely as the brain matures — around two in three achieve good control. "Cure" varies by epilepsy type, so a paediatric neurologist must lead diagnosis and treatment, with developmental support alongside.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Epilepsy Be Prevented?
Many childhood epilepsies stem from genetics or brain development and cannot be fully prevented — that is no one's fault. But good antenatal and newborn care, immunisation, prompt fever and infection treatment, and head-injury protection genuinely lower risk. Even when epilepsy can't be prevented, early medical care can protect a child's development.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Sleep Difficulties Be Cured?
Most childhood sleep difficulties improve greatly and often resolve fully — they are patterns the brain can re-learn with consistent routines and gentle strategies. Where another cause is involved, sleep settles once that is supported. A clinician finds the why; an online answer cannot.
Read the answer AnswerCan Childhood Sleep Difficulties Be Prevented?
Many childhood sleep difficulties can be prevented through early, consistent sleep routines — regular timings, a calm wind-down, no screens before bed and a sleep-friendly room. Some sleep troubles signal underlying factors and need a clinician's look. Prevention is about rhythm, not perfection.
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