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Early Signs
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
What signs suggest my child may need support with focus and attention?
Between 1 and 3 years short attention spans are normal, so flitting from toy to toy is not a worry. Gentle signs worth observing include rarely settling on any activity even briefly, little shared attention, difficulty following a simple one-step instruction, and constant driven movement that's hard to redirect. These are patterns to watch and monitor, not to diagnose at home, and it is far too early to label ADHD. A hearing check usually comes first, and if a pattern persists across months and settings a gentle developmental screen is the kind next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with following directions?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs that a child may need support with following directions include needing instructions repeated often, losing track of two- or three-step tasks, appearing to 'tune out', and struggling with position or sequence words. These are patterns to observe and note, not diagnose at home — especially when frequent and across home, play and preschool. A hearing check comes first, and a warm developmental screen helps pinpoint whether language, attention, hearing or processing needs gentle support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with foot control?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs your toddler may need support with foot control include not walking by around 18 months, constant toe-walking, ankles turning in or out, frequent tripping, or a clear difference between the two feet. Most toddlers find their feet with time, so these are signs to observe and screen — not diagnose at home. A simple developmental screen and a paediatric review come first, and early playful support helps when it's needed.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with friendship seeking?
Between about 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with friendship seeking include rarely approaching other children, hovering at the edge of play, struggling to start or sustain simple games, missing peers' social cues, or distress about being alone. Many children are simply slow-to-warm, so these are patterns to observe over time, not diagnose at home. If the difficulty is steady across many months and several settings, a friendly developmental screen is the kind next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with friendship skills?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with friendship skills include difficulty joining or staying in play, trouble taking turns or sharing, frequent conflict or playing mostly alone, missing social cues, and struggling to keep conversations going. These are everyday patterns to observe gently, not diagnose at home — and they respond well to warm, playful support. If they persist across home, school and playground, a developmental screen helps you understand what your child needs.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with frustration tolerance?
Signs a child (3–7 years) may need support with frustration tolerance include intense meltdowns over small setbacks, quickly giving up on hard tasks, difficulty waiting or taking turns, hitting or throwing when upset, and slow recovery afterwards. Frustration tolerance is a learnable skill that grows with age and gentle coaching, so these are signs to observe and support — not to diagnose at home. A developmental screen helps if meltdowns are frequent, span several settings, or aren't easing as your child grows.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with game rule understanding?
Between ages 3–7, signs a child may need support with game rule understanding include difficulty waiting for a turn, not grasping simple rules after several plays, trouble following a sequence, big upset when play doesn't go their way, or always changing rules. Most children learn these skills gradually through play, so these are signs to observe and gently support — not to diagnose at home. A pattern that persists over months or across settings is worth a friendly developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with general knowledge?
For a child aged 3–7, signs they may need support with general knowledge can include trouble naming familiar objects, animals or colours, difficulty answering simple 'what' and 'why' questions, limited curiosity, and learning new facts much more slowly than peers. These are signs to observe and gently support — not to diagnose at home. A developmental screen looks at knowledge alongside language, attention and play, and early playful support helps knowledge grow naturally.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with general sensory regulation?
Signs a child (around 3–7 years) may need support with general sensory regulation include strong reactions to sounds, textures, lights or mess; or seeking lots of movement, crashing and deep pressure. You may also see meltdowns in busy places, trouble winding down, and fussiness with clothing, food textures or grooming. These are patterns to observe and understand, not diagnose at home — and gentle support often makes daily life smoother.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with grammar use?
By 3–7 years, most children steadily learn word order, tenses, plurals and small joining words. Signs that grammar use may need support include very short sentences for their age, frequent word-order mix-ups, dropped word endings, and lasting confusion with past or future tense. These are signs to observe and screen — not diagnose at home — and gentle, play-based support works best when started early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with gross motor?
For a toddler (12–36 months), signs that gross-motor skills may need support include not walking by ~18 months, frequent falling or very unsteady balance, difficulty running, climbing stairs, jumping or kicking by expected ages, a strong one-sided preference, or unusually stiff or floppy muscles. These are signs to observe and check, not to diagnose at home. Not walking by 18 months, loss of a skill, or stiff/floppy tone warrant a prompt paediatric review, and early play-based support helps most.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with group participation?
Signs a 3–7 year old may need support with group participation include staying on the edge of play, difficulty taking turns or sharing, missing the unspoken rules of games, struggling to follow group instructions, or strong distress when joining others. Many children warm up slowly, so these are patterns to observe across weeks and settings — not diagnose at home. When a pattern is steady across home, playground and preschool, a gentle developmental check is worthwhile.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with group play?
Signs a child aged 3–7 may need support with group play include staying on the edge rather than playing with peers, difficulty taking turns, sharing or following group rules, trouble joining pretend or cooperative games, and becoming easily overwhelmed or withdrawn around other children. Because group play grows steadily across these years, the key is whether patterns persist across settings and months — these are signs to observe and gently support, not to diagnose at home. A friendly developmental screen helps if concerns are steady.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with gymnastic skill?
For a child aged 3–7, signs that gymnastic-type skills may need support include frequent falling, difficulty balancing on one leg, avoiding climbing or jumping, stiff or floppy movement, and tiring or frustrating quickly in active play. Many children simply need more practice, so these are signs to observe and encourage, not diagnose at home. A gap that persists across several months or knocks a child's confidence is worth a friendly developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with head control?
By the toddler years most children hold their head steady and upright with ease. Signs worth watching include a head that still tips, lags or wobbles when sitting or held upright, always turning to one side with a tight neck, and a body that feels very floppy or unusually stiff. These are signs to observe and share with your doctor — not to diagnose at home — because steady head control underpins sitting, crawling and walking. A prompt, gentle review is best when the pattern persists past 12 months.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with hopping balance?
Between roughly 3 and 7 years, children gradually learn to hop on one foot. Signs your child may need support include not attempting a single-foot hop by 4–5 years, frequent falling or needing to hold on, hopping only on one side, or lagging clearly behind same-age friends — especially if jumping, climbing and balance all lag together. These are signs to observe and gently encourage, not diagnose at home, and easy to understand with a quick motor screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with hopping skills?
Most children start hopping on one foot around 3 to 4 years and grow steadier by 5. Signs a child may need support include avoiding hopping, managing only one or two hops, poor single-leg balance, and trouble with related skills like jumping, stair-climbing or running. These are signs to observe gently, not to diagnose at home — a quick developmental screen can show whether play-based occupational therapy would help.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with hyperactivity?
Between 1 and 3 years, being very active is typical and healthy, and true hyperactivity cannot be reliably labelled in a toddler. Signs to observe (not diagnose) include constant driven movement that rarely settles, very little focused play even on favourite toys, heedless dashing or climbing, hard-to-settle sleep, and difficulty waiting near age 3 — especially if alongside other developmental concerns. What matters is a pattern clearly beyond same-age peers, across settings, persisting over months and affecting safety or family life. A formal ADHD picture is usually only considered from school age; a developmental screen now offers reassurance and practical strategies.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imagination?
For a toddler (12–36 months), signs that imagination may need support include very little pretend play, using toys only literally, rarely copying everyday actions like feeding a doll, and limited interest in stories or make-believe. Pretend play grows at different rates, so these are signs to watch and nurture, not to diagnose at home. If imagination, language and social play all seem slow together, a friendly developmental screen helps you understand the whole picture early.
Read the answer AnswerSigns your child may need support with imagination and pretend play
Between roughly 3 and 7 years, pretend and imaginative play normally grows in story and variety. Signs your child may benefit from support include very little spontaneous make-believe, play that stays rigid or repetitive, difficulty taking on roles or symbolic substitution (a block as a car), and trouble joining others' imaginary games. These are signs to observe and gently encourage — not to diagnose at home — and are best understood through a friendly developmental screen, especially if paired with speech or social concerns.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imaginative play?
Between roughly 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with imaginative play include little or no pretend play, lining up or spinning toys rather than playing with them, repeating the same scene each time, difficulty joining others in make-believe, and rarely using one object to stand for another. These are patterns to observe over a few weeks, not diagnose at home, and gentle play-based support helps whether or not a label ever applies.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imitation?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with imitation include rarely copying actions, gestures or words, not joining in 'do what I do' games or action songs, limited pretend play that mirrors adults, and finding it hard to learn new skills by watching others. Imitation is a key learning engine, so these are patterns to observe and gently support, not to diagnose at home. A check is worth it when difficulty is consistent across home, school and play, affects more than one area, or learning by watching feels effortful.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imitation skills?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs a toddler may need imitation support include rarely copying gestures like waving or clapping, little interest in games such as peekaboo or pat-a-cake, not mimicking sounds or words, and limited pretend play by age 2. Many toddlers vary in pace, so these are signs to observe and discuss — not to diagnose at home. A pattern that persists or appears alongside speech or social delays is best understood through an early developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with imitative behavior?
Between 12 and 36 months, signs your toddler may welcome support with imitation include little or no copying of simple gestures (waving, clapping), not imitating familiar sounds or words, and rarely joining playful back-and-forth like peekaboo. Imitation is a foundation for language and social learning, so these are signs to observe and monitor — not to diagnose at home. Early, playful support never has to wait for a label.
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