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My child stopped talking and lost words — should I be worried?
A genuine loss of words or skills a child already had (developmental regression) is one of the few signs worth acting on promptly, without waiting. Causes range from treatable hearing loss to developmental differences or, rarely, medical issues — so a structured clinician check is the right step. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child struggles to make friends — should I be worried?
Struggling to make friends is common and rarely alarming on its own — many children are simply shy or still learning the skills of play and turn-taking. Consider a developmental check when the difficulty is persistent, causes real distress or loneliness, appears across settings, or sits alongside differences in speech, attention or social communication. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child stutters when speaking — should I be worried?
Stuttering between ages 2 and 5 is often a normal developmental phase as a child's ideas outpace their speaking skills, and it usually settles on its own. Seek a gentle speech and developmental check if it lasts more than six months, worsens, comes with visible struggle or tension, or your child becomes upset or avoids speaking. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child suddenly lost skills — is this an emergency?
A genuine, sudden loss of skills your child already had is a medical priority — see a doctor promptly, today if it came on fast or with seizures, drowsiness, fever or injury. Regression needs a doctor's assessment first, not a therapy waitlist. Trust what you're seeing; therapy follows once the medical picture is clear.
Read the answer AnswerMy child talks but is hard to understand — should I be worried?
Some unclear speech is a normal stage of learning to talk. As a rough guide, strangers should understand about half of a 2-year-old, most of a 3-year-old, and almost all of a 4-year-old. If your child is well past these ages and still very hard to follow, or is frustrated trying to be understood, a speech-and-language check is worthwhile. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child throws big tantrums — should I be worried?
Tantrums are a normal part of early childhood, peaking between 1 and 4 years as big emotions arrive before the words and self-control to manage them. For most children they are not a worry — what matters is whether they are very frequent, very intense, very long, or continue strongly past age 5, especially alongside delays in talking, play or connecting. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child wakes up many times at night — should I be worried?
Waking several times a night is very common and usually normal in babies and toddlers, whose sleep is lighter and more cyclical than adults'. Reviewing bedtime routine and comfort helps most children settle. Seek a check if there are breathing pauses, extreme daytime sleepiness, or developmental worries. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerToe-Walking in Children: Should You Be Worried?
Toe-walking is common in young children and usually resolves on its own — especially under age three — particularly if a child can stand flat-footed when reminded and is meeting other milestones. A check is worthwhile if it is constant, one-sided, comes with tight heel cords or stiffness, or alongside speech or coordination concerns. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with ADHD — what should I do first?
After an ADHD diagnosis, the first steps are to understand your child's specific profile, inform the school for simple accommodations, and build a consistent plan with your clinician combining behavioural strategies, home structure and — where advised — therapy and medical review. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was diagnosed with attachment difficulties — what should I do first?
After an attachment difficulty diagnosis, take a breath and focus first on understanding what it means for your child, offering warm and predictable everyday care, and building a relationship-based support team. Attachment grows through repeated moments of feeling safe and seen. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with Auditory Processing Difficulties — what should I do first?
After a diagnosis of Auditory Processing Difficulties, your first steps are to confirm a recent hearing test has ruled out hearing loss, gather your reports, inform the school so simple classroom changes can begin, use clear short instructions at home, and book a structured developmental and listening assessment to build a tailored plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerAutism diagnosis — what to do first
After an autism diagnosis, take the news at your own pace, understand the written report, begin early intervention without delay, and build a small team around your child and family — early, consistent therapy makes the biggest difference. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy — what should I do first?
After a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, the first steps are to understand your child's individual profile, begin early and consistent therapy (physiotherapy, occupational, speech and feeding as needed), coordinate a medical team led by your paediatrician, and support your family's wellbeing. CP is not progressive, and early intervention meaningfully improves outcomes. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerChildhood Anxiety Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a childhood anxiety diagnosis, the first steps are to stay calm and reassuring, name and validate your child's feelings, keep routines predictable, gently encourage rather than over-protect, watch for sleep or school difficulties, and book a structured clinical assessment to shape a plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerChildhood Apraxia of Speech — what to do first
After a Childhood Apraxia of Speech diagnosis, the first steps are starting frequent motor-based speech therapy, giving your child a way to communicate now (gestures, signs or AAC) to ease frustration, and practising target words little-and-often at home. CAS is a motor-planning difficulty, not a problem of intelligence, and responds well to early, consistent help. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with Childhood Epilepsy — what should I do first?
After a childhood epilepsy diagnosis, your first steps are medical: ensure paediatric neurology care, give anti-seizure medication exactly as prescribed, learn seizure first-aid, keep a seizure diary, and inform school and carers. Therapy is added only if developmental or learning delays appear once seizures are stabilised. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerChildhood Sleep Difficulties — First Steps for Parents
After a diagnosis of childhood sleep difficulties, your first steps are to rule out medical causes with your paediatrician, build a calm and consistent bedtime routine, set a dark screen-free sleep environment, and keep a simple sleep diary. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do first after a Conduct-Dissocial Disorder diagnosis
After a Conduct-Dissocial Disorder diagnosis, the first steps are to understand the diagnosis calmly, protect your relationship with your child, begin consistent warm-but-firm responses, bring in evidence-based parent-management training and behaviour therapy, and work with the school. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do first after a DCD diagnosis
After a Developmental Coordination Disorder diagnosis, your first steps are to keep the report, begin occupational therapy as the core support, inform the school for simple accommodations, and protect your child's confidence with encouraging, focused practice. DCD is highly manageable with skilled help. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was just diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder — what should I do first?
After a Developmental Language Disorder diagnosis, your first steps are to start speech and language therapy, confirm your child's hearing has been checked, share the diagnosis with their school, and learn simple home communication strategies. DLD is lifelong but highly responsive to early, consistent support, and it does not limit a child's intelligence or future. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerMy child was diagnosed with Developmental Regression — what should I do first?
After a developmental regression diagnosis, the first priority is a prompt medical review to rule out treatable causes, alongside documenting which skills were lost and when, checking hearing and vision, and beginning a structured developmental assessment so support can start without delay. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental Trauma — your first steps
After a developmental trauma diagnosis, your first steps are to keep your child's world safe, predictable and calm, lean into your warm connection with them, and arrange a full developmental and emotional assessment so support is built around their needs. Healing grows fastest inside loving, consistent relationships. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDown Syndrome Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a Down syndrome diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to complete the medical checks your paediatrician advises — especially heart, hearing, vision and thyroid — and to begin early developmental support as soon as you feel ready. Children with Down syndrome learn and thrive, and early, gentle therapy gives every skill its best chance. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do First After a Dyscalculia Diagnosis
After a dyscalculia diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to understand your child's specific number-processing profile, inform the school so accommodations begin, and start structured multisensory maths support while protecting your child's confidence. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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