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Book Assessment
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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
How fast should my child be improving?
There is no single correct speed of progress — development comes in bursts and plateaus, and what matters is steady forward movement measured against your child's own baseline, not against other children. A clinical AbilityScore at a Pinnacle centre gives a repeatable baseline so real progress can be seen over time.
Read the answer AnswerHow involved will I be in my child's therapy?
Parents are deeply involved at every stage of therapy at Pinnacle — helping set goals, observing and joining sessions, receiving coaching, and carrying simple practice into daily routines, with regular reviews that let their observations shape the plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is a child's progress measured in early intervention?
A child's progress in early intervention is measured against their own baseline using small, functional, individualised goals tracked session by session, supported by parent observations and periodic clinician-administered reviews across developmental domains. Progress shows as skills becoming more independent, more frequent and used in more settings. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is a personalised therapy plan created for my child?
A personalised therapy plan begins with a clinician-administered structured assessment (the AbilityScore®) that maps your child's strengths and needs, after which your team and you set clear, achievable goals, choose the right mix of therapies, and review progress regularly. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is ADHD diagnosed in a child?
ADHD in children is diagnosed by an experienced clinician — not a single test — using developmental history, parent and teacher rating scales, information from home and school, direct observation, and by ruling out other causes. Symptoms must be persistent, present across settings, start in childhood and affect daily life. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is ADHD managed when it occurs together with Anxiety?
When ADHD and anxiety occur together, management starts with a careful clinician assessment to work out which condition is more impairing, then layers behavioural support, parent and school strategies, therapy for the anxiety, and — only where advised — carefully chosen medication. The two conditions can mask each other, so treatment is sequenced and coordinated rather than guessed.
Read the answer AnswerHow is ADHD managed when it occurs with Developmental Coordination Disorder?
When ADHD and Developmental Coordination Disorder occur together, they are managed with one joined-up plan rather than two — typically occupational therapy for motor and self-care skills, structured behavioural and environmental support for attention, school accommodations, and clinician-led consideration of ADHD medication. The essential first step is a single thorough assessment, as the motor difficulty is often missed behind the attention concerns.
Read the answer AnswerHow is ADHD managed when it occurs together with Dyslexia?
When ADHD and Dyslexia occur together, the most effective approach manages both at once through one coordinated plan: behaviour and attention support (and, where a paediatrician advises, medication) alongside structured, multisensory reading instruction. Each part helps the other, and a single assessment clarifies what to prioritise first. Diagnosis and a clinical AbilityScore® are formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerHow ADHD Is Managed Alongside Oppositional Defiant Disorder
When ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder occur together, clinicians usually stabilise the ADHD first, then build parent management training, predictable routines and school-home consistency around the child. ODD rarely needs its own medicine. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow ADHD Is Managed Alongside Tourette Syndrome
When ADHD and Tourette Syndrome occur together, care targets what affects daily life most — often attention and impulsivity rather than the tics. Behavioural strategies, school support, family coaching and a calm, accepting environment come first, with any medication decisions made carefully by a clinician because some choices interact with tics. A clinical AbilityScore and diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerHow Anxiety Is Managed Alongside Selective Mutism
Selective mutism is anxiety-driven, so the two are managed together: lower anxiety first, then build communication in small, pressure-free steps using a 'brave ladder', a safe-person bridge into new settings, and aligned home–school–therapy support. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Attachment Difficulties diagnosed in a child?
Attachment difficulties are not diagnosed from a single test. A qualified clinician builds a careful picture through caregiving history, structured observation of how a child seeks and accepts comfort, information from familiar adults, and by ruling out other explanations. Assessment looks at the child and caregiver together, and attachment patterns respond well to support.
Read the answer AnswerHow Auditory Processing Difficulties Are Diagnosed in a Child
Auditory Processing Difficulties are diagnosed through a step-by-step team process, never one test: a hearing check first to rule out hearing loss, then specialised listening-in-noise tasks plus language, attention and memory assessments by audiologists and speech-language therapists. Reliable testing is generally possible from around age 7. A clinical diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerHow Autism Is Managed With a Co-occurring Sleep Disorder
When autism occurs with a sleep disorder, the two are managed together. Calm, predictable bedtime routines, a sensory-friendly bedroom and daytime regulation support come first, with medical review and clinician-guided strategies where needed. Better sleep often lifts daytime communication, focus and mood. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism managed when it occurs together with ADHD?
When Autism and ADHD occur together, the most effective approach is one integrated, clinician-led plan rather than two competing ones — layering autism supports (routine, communication, sensory) with ADHD supports (attention, regulation) so they reinforce each other. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism managed when it occurs together with Anxiety?
Autism with anxiety is best managed as one whole-child picture: identify what drives the worry, build predictable routines, ease sensory overload, support communication, and teach autism-informed coping skills at the child's pace. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism managed when it occurs together with Epilepsy?
When autism and epilepsy occur together, seizures are managed first and medically by a paediatric neurologist, while developmental and therapy support continues in parallel. The two are coordinated so medication, alertness and recovery shape therapy pacing. With good seizure control and a steady, strengths-based plan, children make meaningful progress.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism managed when it occurs with Feeding Difficulties?
When autism occurs with feeding difficulties, the two are supported together — combining feeding-focused speech therapy, occupational (sensory) therapy and calm, structured mealtime routines. The goal is to widen what a child eats, protect growth and make the table safe. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional., under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerHow Autism With Intellectual Disability Is Managed
When autism and intellectual disability occur together, management is one integrated, strengths-based plan — not two — combining communication support (speech therapy, AAC), daily-living skills (occupational therapy), predictable routines and family coaching, matched to how your child learns. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinicians.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism managed when it occurs with Sensory Processing Disorder?
When autism occurs with sensory processing differences, the most effective support treats them as one connected picture. A clinician-led plan blends a sensory profile, occupational therapy for regulation, sensory-friendly environments and tailored communication support — built around how your child actually experiences the world, with regulation always coming before learning.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Autism Spectrum diagnosed in a child?
Autism is diagnosed through a multidisciplinary clinical process — detailed developmental history, structured observation of social communication and play, and recognised criteria such as WHO ICD-11 — not a single test or scan. Other causes like hearing loss are ruled out first. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Cerebral Palsy diagnosed in a child?
Cerebral palsy is diagnosed clinically by a paediatrician or paediatric neurologist who tracks a child's movement, tone and posture pattern over time — combining developmental history, neurological examination, standardised infant movement assessments and usually an MRI, while ruling out other causes. There is no single test, and a clinical diagnosis is often possible in the first one to two years.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Cerebral Palsy managed when it occurs together with Epilepsy?
Cerebral palsy with epilepsy is managed by a coordinated team: a paediatric neurologist leads seizure control with anti-seizure medication, while physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy continue around the seizure plan. Good seizure control is the foundation that lets therapy build movement, communication and independence. Diagnosis and AbilityScore® are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerHow is Cerebral Palsy managed with Intellectual Disability?
When Cerebral Palsy and Intellectual Disability occur together, the most effective approach is one coordinated, family-centred plan: physiotherapy and occupational therapy for movement and posture, speech therapy and AAC for communication, and special-education support for learning and self-care — all paced to the child. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinician care.
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