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Book Assessment
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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
What should I do if my child isn't walking yet?
Most children walk between 12 and 18 months, with a wide normal range. If your child isn't walking by 18 months, isn't pulling to stand or cruising by around 12 months, uses only one side of the body, or has lost a skill, book a friendly developmental check. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child lines up their toys?
Lining up toys is a common, normal part of play that reflects an interest in order and patterns — on its own it is not a sign of any condition. What matters is the whole picture of how your child plays, communicates and connects. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child only says a few words?
If your child only says a few words, enrich their language daily, note what you observe, and arrange a developmental check if they are behind typical milestones — early support helps most children flourish. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child prefers to play alone?
A child who prefers to play alone is often perfectly healthy — solo play builds imagination and independence. What matters is whether your child can connect and play with others when they want to, versus seeming unable to join in, share or read social cues. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child puts everything in their mouth?
Mouthing objects is a normal, expected way babies and young toddlers explore the world, usually peaking in the first year and easing by around age two. Keep the environment safe by removing small or hazardous items, offer satisfying chewables, and gently redirect rather than only saying no. A check is worth considering if intense mouthing continues past age two or three, involves non-food items, or comes with feeding or developmental delays. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child refuses to eat solid foods?
If your child refuses solid foods, keep mealtimes calm and pressure-free, offer small portions with one new food, match textures to your child's chewing skill, and never force feeding. Seek a developmental and feeding check if refusal persists, your child gags or chokes often, eats very few foods, or is losing weight. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child repeats words or phrases over and over?
Repeating words or phrases (echolalia) is a common and often normal part of how children learn to talk — frequently it is a way of communicating or self-soothing. Most toddlers grow out of immediate repetition by around age three. Seek a gentle developmental check if repetition continues beyond the early years or comes with other communication differences. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child rocks back and forth?
Rocking back and forth is most often a normal, self-soothing behaviour — observe calmly when and how often it happens, offer rhythmic alternatives, and keep tracking milestones. Seek a developmental check if it is intense, hard to interrupt, causes injury, or appears alongside delays in speech, eye contact or connection. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child runs off in public?
If your child runs off in public, prioritise safety in the moment — stay calm, secure the environment, and use rehearsed cues like "stop", hand-holding and ID tags. Most young children outgrow impulsive bolting, but frequent or dangerous running off warrants a developmental check. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child seems behind other children their age?
If your child seems behind peers, note what you're seeing, compare against trusted milestone guides rather than other children, rule out hearing and vision, and seek a developmental check early. Children develop at different paces and early support works best. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child spins objects again and again?
Spinning objects can be play, sensory enjoyment or a way to self-soothe, and on its own is not a diagnosis. Watch with warmth, try to join in and gently redirect into shared play, and look at the whole picture of language, social connection and other skills. Seek a developmental check if it is very frequent, hard to interrupt or sits alongside other observations. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child stares at lights or fans?
Brief fascination with lights and fans is common and usually harmless in young children. What matters is how often and how intensely it happens, and whether your child can be easily drawn away to look at you, respond to their name and join in play. Watch the pattern, offer richer shared-attention alternatives, and seek a developmental check if the staring is intense, hard to interrupt or paired with other observations. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child started talking late?
If your child started talking late, keep talking, reading and playing richly each day, arrange a hearing check, and book a speech-language and developmental assessment to understand whether it is a temporary lag or needs targeted support. Many late talkers catch up, and early input helps. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child stopped talking and lost words they had?
If your child has lost words or social skills they once had, this regression warrants a prompt developmental check rather than watching and waiting. Note what changed and when, have hearing assessed, keep talking warmly, and book an assessment soon. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child struggles to make friends?
If your child struggles to make friends, observe how they connect, share and read feelings, and gently coach small social skills through one-to-one play, role-play and naming emotions. Friendship skills are learnable and most children grow them with practice and time. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child stutters when speaking?
If your child stutters, slow your own speech, give unhurried time to finish, and listen to the message rather than correcting the bumps. Stuttering is common in young children and often resolves, but seek a speech-language check if it lasts beyond six months, worsens, or your child becomes frustrated or avoids speaking. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child talks but is hard to understand?
If your child talks but is hard to understand, keep responding warmly, model clear speech rather than correcting, reduce background noise, and arrange a speech and language check — especially if strangers can't follow them or clarity isn't improving. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child throws big tantrums?
Big tantrums are a normal part of early childhood because a young child's feelings outsize their ability to manage them. Stay calm, keep your child safe, name the feeling and reconnect afterwards rather than punishing. Consider a developmental check if tantrums are very frequent, very intense, involve hurting or continue well beyond the early years. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child wakes up many times at night?
Frequent night waking is usually a normal part of development. A calm, predictable bedtime routine, a consistent sleep environment, and teaching gentle self-settling help most children. Seek a clinician's check if waking comes with snoring, breathing pauses, pain, daytime exhaustion or developmental concerns. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child walks on their toes?
Occasional toe-walking is common in toddlers and usually settles by age two to three, especially when the heels can come down flat and other milestones are on track. Seek a check if toe-walking is constant, the calves feel tight, it persists past age three, or it comes with delays in walking, balance or speech. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I do if my child won't sleep through the night?
Night waking is usually a normal, settle-able part of childhood. A steady sleep schedule, a calm wind-down routine, a screen-free dark room, and teaching your child to self-settle help most children sleep through. Seek a check if there is snoring or breathing pauses, if poor sleep persists despite a good routine, or if it affects daytime mood, attention or development. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I feed a child who refuses most foods?
A child who refuses most foods is usually responding to taste, texture or pressure. Keep mealtimes calm and predictable, offer accepted foods alongside small tastes of new ones without forcing, and eat together. Seek a feeding and developmental review if the food range is very narrow, growth is affected, or there is gagging on textures.
Read the answer AnswerWhat should I look for when choosing a child development centre?
When choosing a child development centre, look for qualified registered therapists, a proper clinician-led assessment before any therapy plan, clear measurable goals, genuine parent involvement, honest communication and evidence-based methods. Avoid centres promising cures or starting therapy without assessment. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Not to Say to a Friend With a Disability
The kindest approach is to treat a friend with a disability the way you'd want to be treated: don't make their disability their whole identity, don't ask very personal questions or help without asking first, and always speak to them directly. When unsure, just ask if they'd like any help. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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