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My child can't climb stairs — should I be worried?
Stair-climbing develops across a wide, normal range — many toddlers climb with support around 14–18 months and more independently between 2 and 3 years, so a child not yet climbing is often still developing. A gentle check helps if climbing is far behind peers, if walking or balance also struggle, or if a skill has faded. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child can't dress themselves — should I be worried?
Learning to dress is a gradual skill most children master around 4–5 years, with fiddly buttons and laces later — so needing help is usually normal. A check helps if a child is markedly behind peers across self-care and fine-motor tasks. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child can't focus on anything — should I be worried?
A child who 'can't focus on anything' is very often showing normal, age-appropriate attention — young children naturally have short attention spans and focus far better on what interests them. It becomes worth a closer look only when focus difficulty is persistent across settings, clearly out of step with same-age peers, and affecting learning, friendships or daily life. This is not laziness or poor parenting, and a gentle developmental check brings clarity. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child can't hold a pencil or crayon — should I be worried?
For most young children, not holding a pencil or crayon properly is normal — grip develops gradually over the early years through play. If your child is past 4–5 and cannot hold or control a crayon at all, avoids drawing, or seems behind peers, a gentle developmental check helps. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child can't sit still — should I be worried?
Most young children are naturally energetic and wriggly — this is healthy development, not a problem. Whether to be concerned depends on your child's age and whether restlessness disrupts everyday life across several settings. A developmental check helps when restlessness is persistent, intense and interferes with learning, friendships, sleep or safety. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child can't use scissors — should I be worried?
Struggling with scissors is usually a normal stage of fine-motor development, not a cause for worry — cutting needs hand strength, coordination and practice that mature at different rates in every child. Encourage it playfully with child-safe scissors and hand-strengthening games. A check helps only if scissors sit alongside wider hand or daily-task difficulties. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child cannot cope in class — what are my options?
A child who cannot cope in class usually has an understandable reason — attention, language, learning, sensory, emotional or coordination differences. Start by talking with the school, noting patterns at home, and arranging a structured developmental check to find the why before choosing support.
Read the answer AnswerCovering Ears at Loud Sounds — Should You Worry?
Covering ears at loud sounds is very common in young children and usually a normal, protective response — not a cause for worry on its own. A gentle developmental check helps if it is frequent, very distressing, or paired with other observations like delayed speech or sensitivity to lights, textures or crowds. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child does not want to go to school — what can I do?
School refusal is common and workable — it usually signals an underlying worry such as separation anxiety, a social or bullying problem, a hidden learning difficulty, or sensory overwhelm. Respond with calm listening, a shared plan with the school, and small supported steps back, and seek a check if it persists. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't babble — should I be worried?
Most babies begin canonical babbling ("ba-ba", "da-da") between about 6 and 10 months. If your baby isn't babbling by around 9–12 months, a gentle developmental check — starting with a hearing review — is worthwhile, as early support is easiest then. Many children catch up beautifully. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't copy what I do — should I be worried?
Imitation develops gradually across a child's first two to three years, and a single instance of not copying is rarely cause for alarm. It becomes worth a closer look when it appears alongside other patterns over time — limited gestures, sharing of attention or response to name. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't enjoy cuddles — should I be worried?
A child not enjoying cuddles is usually just temperament or sensory preference and not a cause for worry on its own — what matters is the overall pattern of connection, such as seeking comfort, sharing joy and responding to their name. A check helps only if a dislike of cuddles sits alongside several other social or sensory signs over time. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't follow simple instructions — should I be worried?
Not following simple instructions can be normal at certain ages, as toddlers are still building the hearing, understanding, attention and action skills that following directions requires. It is worth a check when, over several weeks, a child consistently doesn't respond to their name, doesn't understand familiar requests, or this comes with delays in talking or play — and a hearing check should come first. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerChild Doesn't Like Being Touched: Should I Worry?
Disliking certain kinds of touch is common in young children and often reflects how their nervous system processes sensation (tactile sensitivity) — rarely a cause for alarm on its own. A check helps if it's intense, persistent, disrupts daily routines, or sits alongside delays in speech, play or social connection. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't make eye contact — should I be worried?
Reduced eye contact on its own is rarely cause for alarm — children look away when shy, tired, focused or by temperament. What matters is the bigger picture of social connection: shared attention, responding to their name, pointing, social smiles and back-and-forth. If reduced eye contact persists alongside other communication differences, a gentle developmental check is wise. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't play pretend — should I be worried?
Pretend play usually emerges between 18 months and 3 years and varies widely from child to child, so its absence alone is rarely cause for worry. What matters is the overall pattern — how a child communicates, connects, imitates and plays in other ways. A developmental check brings clarity if pretend play sits alongside other observations. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't play with other children — should I be worried?
Solitary or parallel play is a normal stage for many toddlers and preschoolers, not a warning sign on its own — children grow into shared play at their own pace. A gentle developmental check helps when several social-communication signs cluster and persist over time. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't point at things — should I be worried?
Pointing usually appears between 9 and 14 months and signals a child's wish to share and connect, the foundation of language. If a child is past their first birthday and not yet pointing, look at the whole communication picture — eye contact, name-response, babbling, gesturing — and arrange a friendly developmental check by 15–18 months. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerChild Not Responding to Their Name
A child not responding to their name often has ordinary causes — deep absorption in play, or simply not hearing well — so a hearing check always comes first. Most babies orient to their name by 6–9 months and respond reliably by 12 months; consistent non-response by around 12 months, especially with limited eye contact, pointing or babble, is worth a gentle developmental check. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't seem to feel pain — should I be worried?
A child who genuinely doesn't seem to feel pain deserves a prompt medical check first, as reduced pain response can be a safety matter and sometimes has a neurological cause. Often there's a reassuring explanation, but a true absence of pain reaction warrants seeing a paediatrician without delay. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't show me things they like — should I be worried?
"Showing" things you like is one sign of joint attention, usually emerging between about 9 and 18 months — but on its own it rarely tells the whole story. What matters most is the wider pattern of warm connection: eye contact, responding to their name, sharing for joy, and gestures. A check is wise when several social-communication signs are missing together. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't smile back — should I be worried?
A responsive social smile usually appears around 6–8 weeks and is established by about 3 months. A younger baby is most likely simply not ready yet. If your child is past 3 months and not smiling back, or has lost a smile they once had, a calm developmental check is sensible. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't talk yet — should I be worried?
A slightly later start to talking is common, and many children are simply on their own timeline — but communication follows well-mapped milestones, so a gentle developmental check is wiser than waiting indefinitely. Look at the whole picture: understanding, pointing, gestures and connection matter as much as spoken words. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child doesn't understand danger — should I be worried?
Understanding danger is a skill that develops gradually — young toddlers are naturally fearless, so this alone is usually not a worry. A check is worthwhile if a child is well past the toddler years with no caution around obvious hazards, doesn't learn from near-misses, or this sits alongside delays in speech, attention or social skills. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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