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Understanding
Types of Down Syndrome
Down syndrome has three biological types defined by how the extra chromosome 21 appears: Trisomy 21 (~95%), Translocation (~3–4%), and Mosaic (~1–2%). These are types, not severity grades — Down syndrome is not classed as mild or severe, and a child's abilities vary individually. A karyotype blood test confirms the type.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia isn't formally divided into fixed levels — ICD-11/DSM describe it as mild, moderate or severe by daily impact. Clinicians also describe profiles: number-sense, procedural, memory/fact-retrieval, visuospatial and reasoning difficulties, often mixed. A clinical AbilityScore and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is described by type rather than numbered levels — chiefly dyslexic (linguistic), motor and spatial dysgraphia — with severity rated mild to significant. Identifying the type matters most, as each responds to different support. A clinical diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is described less by fixed "levels" and more by pattern and severity. Common patterns include phonological (sound-processing), surface (whole-word recognition), rapid-naming (fluency) and mixed difficulties; severity is described as mild, moderate or severe by how much support is needed. It is usually identified once formal reading instruction is underway, around ages 6–8.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties?
Emotional & behavioural difficulties are usually grouped into emotional (internalising) types like anxiety and low mood, behavioural (externalising) types like defiance and impulsivity, plus social and mixed patterns. Clinicians also describe their level — mild, moderate or pervasive. These are descriptive lenses, not labels, and a clinical assessment and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Feeding & Eating Difficulties?
Feeding & eating difficulties range from mild, common fussiness to persistent patterns affecting growth and comfort. Clinicians group them by cause — oral-motor, sensory, swallowing, behavioural or medically-linked — and by impact (mild, moderate, significant). A clinical assessment is formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
FASD is an umbrella term, not a single condition. It includes recognised patterns: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (pFAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD). These describe different combinations of effects on growth, facial features, brain and learning — not a simple mild-to-severe scale. A clinical assessment and diagnosis happen only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Fine Motor Delay?
Fine motor delay is described in three overlapping ways: by degree (mild, moderate, significant), by pattern (isolated versus part of global developmental delay), and by the skill affected (grasp and dexterity, hand strength, bilateral coordination, or visual-motor control). These are descriptive lenses, not labels, and most children make strong gains with early playful therapy. Any clinical assessment happens only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Genetic / Chromosomal Syndromes?
Genetic and chromosomal syndromes are grouped not by levels but by the type of DNA change: whole-chromosome differences (e.g. Down syndrome), structural changes (e.g. deletions like 22q11.2), single-gene conditions (e.g. Fragile X, Rett), and imprinting or complex conditions. Diagnosis and any clinical AbilityScore are established only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Global Developmental Delay?
Global Developmental Delay has no formal named types; it is one umbrella term for children under 5 who are significantly behind in two or more developmental areas. Clinicians describe it by the domains affected (motor, speech, cognition, social-emotional, self-care) and by degree — mild, moderate, severe or profound. A clinical AbilityScore and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Gross Motor Delay?
Gross motor delay is described in a few ways: by degree (mild, moderate, significant), by scope (isolated versus part of global developmental delay), and by underlying pattern (low muscle tone, coordination/motor-planning differences, or simply a slower pace). These are clinician starting points, not home labels — and most respond well to early physiotherapy support.
Read the answer AnswerTypes and Levels of Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairment is described by type — conductive (outer/middle ear), sensorineural (inner ear or nerve) and mixed — and by degree, from mild through moderate, severe and profound. It can affect one or both ears. Early identification through newborn screening and listening milestones means most children can be supported well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)?
Hypotonia is described in two main ways: by cause (central — from the brain or spinal cord; peripheral — from nerves, muscles or their junction; or mixed) and by everyday impact (loosely mild, moderate or significant). It may be benign and temporary or part of a wider condition. A clinical AbilityScore and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.
Read the answer AnswerLevels of Intellectual Disability
Intellectual disability is described in four levels — mild, moderate, severe and profound — based on the support a child needs across conceptual, social and practical skills, not on an IQ number alone. The level reflects functioning today and can change with support; it is confirmed only by a qualified clinician at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Motor Planning Difficulties?
Motor planning difficulties are grouped by type, not fixed levels: by the stage affected (ideation, planning/sequencing, execution) and by the movement involved (gross-motor, fine-motor, oral/verbal). Severity is described by a clinician at a Pinnacle centre, never self-graded.
Read the answer AnswerTypes and Levels of Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation
Non-verbal / minimally verbal presentation describes how much spoken language a child uses, along a continuum — pre-verbal (gestures and sounds), minimally verbal (a few words or fixed phrases), and emerging verbal (a small but growing vocabulary). It is a starting point, not a fixed type; many children progress with communication-first support including AAC.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
ODD has no named subtypes; it is described by severity (mild = one setting, moderate = two settings, severe = three or more) and by three behaviour clusters: angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behaviour, and vindictiveness. Any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Persistent Toe-Walking?
Persistent toe-walking is grouped by cause — idiopathic (habitual, no medical reason) versus secondary (tight calves, sensory or neurological links) — and by severity, from mild and flexible (heels come down easily) to significant and fixed (heels rarely touch, ankle tight). Most young children are at the milder end. A clinical AbilityScore and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk?
Prematurity-related developmental risk is graded by how early a baby arrived: late preterm (34–36 weeks), moderate preterm (32–33 weeks), very preterm (28–31 weeks) and extremely preterm (under 28 weeks). Risk rises with earlier birth, but these are watch-and-monitor bands, not destinies. Milestones are judged using corrected age, and timely support shifts the odds.
Read the answer AnswerTypes and Stages of Rett Syndrome
Rett syndrome isn't graded mild-to-severe. Clinicians describe it by four developmental stages (early onset, rapid regression, plateau, late motor decline) and by type — classic (typical) Rett syndrome and several atypical (variant) forms. A diagnosis is confirmed only by a clinician, with genetic testing.
Read the answer AnswerTypes and Levels of the School Readiness Gap
A School Readiness Gap is the distance between a child's current skills and what school expects. It spans five domains — communication, cognition, social-emotional, motor and self-care — and is thought of in three levels: mild, moderate and significant, based on the support a child needs. It is a map for support, never a label, and is assessed only by a Pinnacle clinician.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Selective Mutism?
Selective mutism isn't split into formal types or levels — it's one anxiety-based condition where a child speaks in some settings but not others. Clinicians instead describe patterns: where the silence appears, how the child communicates otherwise, how long it lasts, and what anxieties travel with it. Any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Self-Regulation Difficulties?
Self-regulation difficulties aren't fixed medical types; clinicians describe them by area affected (emotional, behavioural, attention/cognitive, sensory-physiological), by reactivity style (over-responsive, under-responsive or mixed), and by support level (mild, moderate, significant). Any clinical assessment is formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat are the types or levels of Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity?
Sensory-based feeding selectivity sits on a spectrum, usually described in three levels — mild (a narrowing diet), moderate (a restricted, rigid range), and severe (very few foods with strong sensory distress). Clinicians also note which sense — texture, smell, taste, temperature, appearance — drives the response. These are descriptive shades to guide support, never a diagnosis, which is formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
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