ASK PINNACLE · QUESTIONS, EXPLANATIONS & NEXT STEPS
Plan
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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
My 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.
Read the answer AnswerDysgraphia Diagnosis — Your First Steps
After a dysgraphia diagnosis, the most useful first steps are to understand which part of writing is affected, inform the school so accommodations can begin, protect your child's confidence, and arrange a structured assessment to target support. Dysgraphia is a writing difference, not a measure of intelligence. 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 dyslexia — what to do first
After a dyslexia diagnosis, parents should read the assessment report, inform the school to begin accommodations, and start structured, evidence-based literacy support while protecting the child's confidence. Dyslexia is a processing difference, not a measure of intelligence, and children thrive with the right teaching. 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 an Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties diagnosis
After a diagnosis of emotional and behavioural difficulties, the first steps are to stay calm and protect your relationship with your child, ask the diagnosing professional to explain the patterns plainly, rule out medical and environmental contributors, keep simple notes, and arrange a structured assessment so support is tailored to your child. 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 Feeding & Eating Difficulties Diagnosis
After a feeding and eating difficulties diagnosis, your first steps are to stay calm and stop mealtime pressure, see your paediatrician to rule out medical causes and check swallowing safety, book a feeding-focused assessment, and keep mealtimes predictable and shared. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFASD Diagnosis: What To Do First
After an FASD diagnosis, the most helpful first steps are to keep the report safe, arrange a full developmental profile to map your child's specific strengths and challenges, build a small steady team of supports over time, talk to the school early, and look after yourself. With early, well-matched support — structure, communication therapy and understanding caregivers — children with FASD build skills and thrive. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFine Motor Delay Diagnosed — What to Do First
After a fine motor delay diagnosis, take three first steps: understand exactly which hand skills are delayed, begin occupational therapy where play builds grip, strength and coordination, and bring short, joyful hand-play into daily routines while keeping your paediatrician informed. 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 genetic or chromosomal syndrome diagnosis
After a genetic or chromosomal diagnosis, start by understanding the specific condition from your geneticist, arranging any syndrome-specific health checks with your paediatrician, and beginning an early developmental profile so tailored therapy can begin where it helps. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerGlobal Developmental Delay diagnosed — your first steps
After a Global Developmental Delay diagnosis, your first steps are to complete the medical work-up (including hearing and vision checks), begin early team-based therapy, get a structured developmental profile, and build playful daily practice at home. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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