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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
If a Child in Your Care Isn't Yet Showing Social Function
Social function — smiling back, sharing attention, taking turns, joining play — grows at its own pace, and many children connect a little later. If a child in your care isn't yet showing expected social connection, keep offering warm, playful, face-to-face interaction, watch the pattern over weeks, and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis — an early, calm look opens the door to support, which works best when offered early.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver Guide: When a Child Isn't Greeting Yet
Social greeting — waving, smiling back, saying "hi" — usually emerges between about 9 and 18 months, at each child's own pace. As a caregiver, keep modelling warm greetings, weave them into daily routines, and arrange a calm developmental check if greeting isn't growing alongside other social-communication steps like responding to name, pointing or babble. This is not a diagnosis — it's an early, supportive look, because gentle play-based help works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't showing social imagination yet
Social imagination — pretend play and shared make-believe — usually emerges between about 18 months and 3 years and varies child to child. If a child isn't yet pretending, the first step is to gently invite more play and watch their response. Seek a developmental check if pretend play is absent alongside delays in talking, eye contact, sharing interest or responding to their name — not as a diagnosis, but because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing social initiation
Social initiation — a child starting an interaction by sharing, pointing, calling out or beginning a game — develops at different speeds. If a child in your care isn't yet starting these social bids, respond warmly to every cue, weave initiation into everyday play, and arrange a developmental check so a clinician can see the whole picture. This is not a diagnosis but a calm reason to look early, when support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in your care isn't showing social initiative yet
Social initiative — starting interactions, sharing, seeking attention — develops at different rates in every child. As a caregiver, respond warmly to every small bid, create easy chances to connect, and observe gently over a few weeks. Seek a calm developmental check if the child rarely initiates despite warm invitations, or if this comes with few words, little eye contact, no pointing or shared smiling. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing social interaction
If a child isn't yet showing social interaction — shared smiles, following your gaze, pointing to share, or enjoying back-and-forth play — weave more connection into everyday moments and arrange a calm developmental check. This is not a diagnosis. Get face-to-face, follow the child's interest, narrate, and turn routines into playful turns. Seek a clinician's eye if social differences travel with few words, little eye contact, or loss of a skill, because early, responsive support helps social skills bloom.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do when a child isn't yet showing social interest
Social interest — sharing smiles, responding to a name, enjoying back-and-forth play — grows at its own pace. As a caregiver, the most powerful thing you can do is increase warm, face-to-face playful moments, follow the child's lead, and watch their response over a few weeks. Seek a developmental check if social interest stays limited or comes with delays in babble, eye contact or pointing. This is a reason to look closely early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing social language
If a child isn't yet showing social language — the back-and-forth of gestures, eye contact, babble and words used with people — keep connecting through warm everyday play, watch how they communicate, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for shared smiles, turn-taking, pointing to show, and response to name; any loss of a skill needs prompt review. This is a calm reason to look early, not a diagnosis, because support works best when started young.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing social play
If a child isn't yet playing socially, keep playing alongside them, follow their lead, and watch how they connect over the coming weeks. Social play builds in stages — from playing near others to playing with them — and many children simply need more time and warm invitation. Seek a developmental check if there's little interest in people, no shared attention, no simple turn-taking, or delays in talking and responding — not as alarm, but because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing social pragmatics
Social pragmatics — using language to connect, take turns, read tone and adapt to listeners — develops at different paces. If a child in your care isn't yet showing it, observe calmly, keep play and conversation rich, and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis; it means a clinician's gentle look is wise now, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing social reciprocity
If a child in your care isn't yet showing social reciprocity — shared smiles, turn-taking, pointing, responding to their name — the best response is warm, frequent, playful invitations to connect, and a calm developmental check if it continues or comes with other delays. Follow the child's lead, get face-to-face, pause and wait for any response, and reward it warmly. This is not a diagnosis but a reason for an early, gentle clinical look, because play-based support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't showing social referencing yet
Social referencing — when a child glances at a trusted adult to read whether a new situation is safe — usually emerges around 8–12 months. If a child isn't yet doing this, it's not a diagnosis but a gentle signal to offer more face-to-face shared moments and arrange a developmental check, especially if it travels with little eye contact, no pointing, no response to name or few words. Early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing social relationship and reciprocity
If a child isn't yet showing social relationship and reciprocity — shared smiles, eye contact, responding to their name, turn-taking, joint attention — lean into warm, playful, daily connection and arrange a developmental check. This is not a diagnosis but a reason for an early, calm clinical look, because social skills grow best with timely, play-based support.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing social responsiveness
Social responsiveness — eye contact, shared smiles, turning to a familiar voice — unfolds gradually, and every child has their own timeline. As a caregiver, keep offering warm face-to-face moments, watch the connection over a few weeks, and arrange a calm developmental check if it feels consistently absent for the child's age. This is not a diagnosis — early, gentle support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet sharing: a caregiver's guide
Sharing is a skill that develops gradually, usually from around age two and maturing through the preschool years — so a young child not yet sharing is very often typical. Caregivers help most by modelling, narrating and gently practising turn-taking. Seek a calm developmental check only if difficulty sharing travels with wider differences in talking, connecting or playing. This is reason to observe early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerSupporting a child not yet showing social skills
If a child in your care isn't yet showing social skills like sharing smiles, looking at faces or taking turns, keep encouraging connection through warm everyday play and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. Social skills grow at very different rates, so this is reason to observe and support early, not a diagnosis. Seek a check sooner if social connection seems consistently absent for the child's age or comes with speech or play delays.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing social understanding
Social understanding grows step by step, and every child builds it at their own pace. If a child in your care isn't yet showing it, the kindest steps are warm, playful, face-to-face interaction plus a calm developmental check — not worry. Watch for little eye contact, not responding to their name, little interest in other children, or loss of a social skill. This is a reason to assess early, never a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerAs a caregiver, what should I do if a child is not yet socialising?
Socialization grows in steps — sharing smiles, taking turns, then playing with others — and many children simply need more time and warm invitations. As a caregiver, observe gently and encourage playful interaction. Seek a developmental check if there is little eye contact or shared joy, no response to name, no pointing, or social play that stays well behind peers, especially alongside communication delays. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerChild Not Yet Sorting & Categorising — A Caregiver's Guide
Sorting and categorising usually emerges gradually between about 18 months and 3 years and varies widely between children. Keep offering playful chances to match, group and name everyday objects. Seek a gentle developmental check if the skill seems far behind same-age peers or arrives with delays in talking, understanding or play — this is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early playful support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet making sounds: a caregiver's guide
Sound production — cooing, babbling and early consonants — builds gradually across the first two years. If a child isn't yet making sounds, keep talking, singing and responding warmly, watch how they react to your voice, and arrange a developmental check if babble is absent, fading, or paired with no response to sound. A hearing check is a sensible early step. This is reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing spatial concepts
Spatial words like in, on, under and between develop gradually between roughly 2 and 5 years, with harder ones mastered nearer 4–5. If these words are the only gap and everything else is growing, play and rich everyday talk are usually all that's needed. Seek a developmental check if the child follows few directions of any kind, has very limited vocabulary, or seems behind across several areas — this means a clinician's gentle look is wise, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing spatial reasoning
Spatial reasoning — understanding shapes, fit and position — develops at its own pace. If a child isn't yet stacking, posting shapes, doing puzzles or following position words like under and behind, add more spatial play to daily life and, if unease lingers, arrange a developmental check. Watch for spatial play that stays well behind peers, doesn't improve with practice, or sits within wider delays. This opens opportunities — it is never a diagnosis, and early playful support works well.
Read the answer AnswerIf a Child Isn't Showing Special Interests Yet
There is no set age by which a child must show a special interest, and many children play broadly without one big passion — that is healthy. Nurture curiosity by following your child's lead and offering varied play. Watch the wider building blocks — engaged play, shared attention, pointing and communication — rather than the absence of a favourite topic. If those broader skills seem delayed, arrange a calm developmental check; early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child's speech isn't yet clear: a caregiver's guide
Some unclear speech is normal as children learn sounds: a familiar listener understands about half a 2-year-old's speech, three-quarters at 3, and most strangers understand easily by 4. Caregivers help by talking warmly, facing the child, giving time, modelling correct words and reading together. Arrange a speech and hearing check if a child is much harder to understand than peers, has few or stalling words, or gets frustrated — this is early support, not a diagnosis.
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