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Book Assessment
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with book assessment.
11,466 published answers · English · Page 70
Signs & concerns
What to do if a child isn't yet showing pretend play
Pretend play usually emerges around 18 months and grows through the third year, so a single missing skill is rarely alarming. As a caregiver, make space for it through everyday play and watch warmly. If pretend play hasn't appeared by around 24 months — especially with few words, little eye contact or limited social interest together — a calm developmental check is wise. This is a reason to assess early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do If a Child Isn't Yet Showing Problem Solving
Problem solving — working out how to reach a toy, fit a shape, or seek help — grows step by step through everyday play and at different paces for each child. If a child in your care isn't yet solving little challenges as expected, offer playful support at home and arrange a gentle developmental check. This isn't a diagnosis; it's an early, loving look, because support works best when started early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing proprioceptive processing
Proprioceptive processing is the body's sense of where its muscles and joints are — it grows through everyday play rather than switching on at a set age. Seek a gentle developmental check if a child is unusually clumsy, crashes or squeezes constantly, presses far too hard or soft, slumps or fidgets, or shows these alongside other delays. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early occupational-therapy support through playful 'heavy work' helps the brain build its body map.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing quantitative reasoning
Quantitative reasoning — counting, comparing, sequencing — develops gradually through everyday play, and children reach each step at their own pace. If a child isn't yet showing it, weave number talk into daily routines, watch how they engage over a few weeks, and arrange a developmental check if the gap is persistent or travels with delays in language, attention or play. This is a reason to support early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet comparing quantities
Quantity comparison — knowing which group has 'more' or 'less' — develops gradually through preschool play. If a child isn't showing it yet, weave more comparing into snacks and toys and watch over a few weeks. Seek a developmental check if the skill lags well behind peers, isn't building with practice, or travels with delays in language or understanding. This is a cue to support and observe, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet relating to people
Relating to people — shared smiles, eye contact, responding to names, simple back-and-forth play — grows gradually. If a child isn't yet showing this, keep offering warm, playful invitations and arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis; it means an early clinician's look is wise, because connection-building works best when started early.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing relationship skills
Relationship skills — sharing, turn-taking, showing affection, playing with others — grow gradually and at different rates for every child. If a child in your care isn't yet connecting as expected, the best step is calm observation plus a gentle developmental check, not worry. Support daily by modelling greetings, narrating feelings and arranging small playdates. Seek a check sooner if social connection is consistently behind peers, travels with talking or play delays, or the child seems uninterested in people — this is a reason to assess early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't showing repetitive behaviour, what should a caregiver do?
Not showing repetitive behaviour is no cause for concern — these movements are just one of many ways children self-soothe, and many thriving children show few. As a caregiver, focus on the bigger picture: communication, social connection, motor skills and play. Keep gently observing and arrange a routine developmental check only if a broader area of growth seems delayed for the child's age.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't responding to their name yet
Most children respond to their name by 9–12 months. If a child in your care isn't yet turning or looking up when called, first rule out hearing, then watch how they respond to other sounds, faces, smiles and gestures. Arrange a gentle developmental check if non-response continues past 12 months or comes with other communication differences. This is a reason to look closely — not a diagnosis — and early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet making responsible decisions
Responsible decision making develops slowly across childhood into the teenage years, so a child not yet showing it is often typical for their stage. As a caregiver, you can model calm choices, offer safe everyday decisions, and talk through consequences together. Seek a developmental check if poor decisions are frequent, risky, don't improve with guidance, or come alongside other developmental differences — this is support and clarity, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerHelping a child build risk awareness
Risk awareness develops gradually with memory, attention and impulse control, so a young child with little caution is often developmentally typical. Keep the environment safe, name dangers simply, and teach the skill through repeated practice and play. Seek a developmental check if a child is unusually fearless of clear dangers, doesn't learn from small mishaps, or shows this alongside delays in language, attention or social understanding.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guide: when a child isn't yet showing rotational control
Rotational control — rolling and turning through the body — usually emerges between 4 and 7 months with wide natural variation. If a child isn't yet showing it, offer plenty of floor and tummy time and playful both-sided practice. Seek a developmental check if rolling is markedly delayed, very one-sided, or paired with stiffness, floppiness or loss of a skill. This is reassurance and planning, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing routine participation
If a child isn't yet joining everyday routines, keep them short, predictable and playful, break tasks into tiny steps, and celebrate the smallest sign of joining in. Many children simply need more time and clearer cues. Seek a developmental check if it travels with difficulty following simple steps, little shared attention, big distress at transitions, or delays in talking and play — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in your care isn't running yet
Most children start running between 18 and 24 months, after a few months of steady walking. A child walking well but not yet running near age 2 is usually within the normal range and worth gentle monitoring. Seek a developmental check if a child isn't walking by 18 months, has lost a skill, or shows stiffness, weakness, frequent falling or persistent toe-walking. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing safety awareness
Safety awareness develops gradually and builds on understanding, memory and impulse control, so it appears later than we sometimes expect. If a child is not yet showing it, provide close supervision and teach in small, repeated steps woven into daily play. Seek a developmental check if safety awareness lags well behind peers or comes with delays in language, attention or impulse control — this means early support, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing self-advocacy skills
Self-advocacy — saying what you want, need, or want to stop — develops gradually, and emerging later is often normal. Caregivers can nurture it by offering real choices, honouring 'no', naming feelings, waiting to listen, and giving non-speaking children pictures or devices. Seek a developmental check if the child has very limited ways to express wants, doesn't seek help when distressed, or lags well behind peers alongside other communication or learning differences. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing self-management
If a child in your care isn't yet showing self-management — settling themselves, following routines, managing feelings or growing independence — stay calm, build predictable routines and offer gentle, consistent support while you watch development. Self-management grows over years with wide variation. Seek a developmental check if the gap seems large for the child's age or comes with other delays — not as a diagnosis, but because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing sensory integration
Sensory integration is how a child's brain organises touch, movement, sound and sight into comfortable responses, and it develops at different paces. Seek a calm developmental check if a child is strongly distressed by everyday sensations, constantly seeks intense movement, seems under-responsive, or these reactions crowd out play, sleep or learning. This is not a diagnosis — it means early, gentle support is wise, because occupational therapy works beautifully when started young.
Read the answer AnswerSupporting a child's sensory regulation
Sensory regulation — managing responses to sound, touch, movement and busy spaces — develops gradually. If a child seems easily overwhelmed, hard to calm, or strongly seeking or avoiding sensory input, observe gently and seek a developmental check. This is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis, and calm predictable support plus early input helps most children thrive.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet using phrases and sentences
If a child isn't yet joining words into phrases or simple sentences, keep talking, reading and playing together daily, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Two-word phrases usually emerge around 18–24 months and short sentences by about 3 years, but every child differs. An early, calm look is an opportunity, not a diagnosis — language support works wonderfully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in your care isn't yet forming sentences
Children usually join two words around 18–24 months and form short sentences by 30–36 months. If a child over two is using single words but not yet combining them, support daily with language-rich play and expanding their words, and arrange a developmental check — especially if you also notice few words, little interaction or no pointing. This is not a diagnosis; early support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing simple planning
Simple planning — thinking a few steps ahead — develops gradually through play and varies widely between children. If a child isn't yet showing it, build planning into everyday play with two-step tasks, watch how it grows over the coming weeks, and arrange a developmental check if it lags well behind peers or travels with other delays. This is a reason to support and observe early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing sitting balance
Most babies sit steadily by around 9 months. If a child in your care isn't yet showing sitting balance, give supported floor and tummy time, encourage reaching at chest height, and watch how strength and balance grow. Arrange a gentle developmental check if they are past 9 months without independent sitting, show very floppy or stiff tone, a strong side preference, or have stalled or lost skills. This is a reason to look early — not a diagnosis — because play-based movement support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet reading situational factors
Reading situational factors — adjusting behaviour to fit where a child is and who is around — is a skill that matures through the toddler and preschool years, so a child not yet showing it is usually still learning, not behind. Help by naming settings aloud, using routines and modelling the shift yourself. Seek a developmental check only if it travels with delays in language, social connection or play. This is reassurance and early support, never a diagnosis.
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