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Understanding
What is Developmental Regression, and what does it look like in early childhood?
Developmental regression is when a child loses skills they had already mastered — words, gestures, social warmth, play or movement — rather than just being slow to gain new ones. In early childhood it may look like going quiet after speaking, less eye contact, lost pretend play, or slipping back on motor or self-care skills. Any clear, lasting loss of a learned skill deserves a prompt developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Developmental Trauma, and what does it look like in early childhood?
Developmental trauma is the effect of repeated or prolonged overwhelming stress in early childhood — such as neglect or the loss of a consistent caregiver — on the developing brain. In young children it shows up in the body and behaviour: big hard-to-settle emotions, difficulty being soothed, constant alertness, sleep trouble, and wobbles in speech, play or self-care. With safe relationships and support, young children can recover. Diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerFeeding & Eating Difficulties: What It Looks Like Early
Feeding & eating difficulties (ICD-11 6B8Z) are persistent challenges with accepting, managing or enjoying food in early childhood — texture sensitivity, a very narrow menu, mealtime distress or poor intake. It is common, not a parent's fault, and responds well to the right support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Genetic / Chromosomal Syndromes?
Genetic and chromosomal syndromes are conditions present from birth, caused by a difference in a child's genes or chromosomes. In early childhood they often show as delayed milestones, low muscle tone, feeding differences or distinctive features. With early, individualised support many children learn, connect and thrive.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation?
Non-verbal or minimally verbal presentation describes a child who uses very few or no spoken words at an age when more speech is expected. It is a description of how a child communicates today, not a diagnosis. Many such children understand well and communicate through gestures, sounds, signs, pictures or devices, and the first step is always understanding why.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk?
Prematurity-related developmental risk means babies born before 37 weeks have a higher chance of needing developmental support — a watch-and-support situation, not a diagnosis. Milestones are tracked using corrected age until about two. Most premature children thrive; gentle early monitoring helps catch and support any delays in movement, communication, feeding or attention.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Rett Syndrome, and what does it look like in early childhood?
Rett Syndrome (ICD-11 LD90.0) is a rare neurodevelopmental condition affecting mostly girls, usually caused by a MECP2 gene change. After typically normal early development, skills slow and are lost — especially purposeful hand use and spoken language, with characteristic repetitive hand movements. Diagnosis is clinical and genetic, formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity?
Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity is a pattern where a young child limits what they eat because of how food feels, looks or smells — not ordinary fussiness. It shows as accepting only certain textures or colours, distress at lumpy or mixed foods, and mealtime tension. With clinician-guided sensory feeding support, variety can broaden over time.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Separation Anxiety Disorder, and what does it look like in early childhood?
Separation Anxiety Disorder (ICD-11 6B05) is intense, persistent fear of being apart from loved ones, well beyond typical age-related clinginess, that disrupts sleep, school and daily life. In early childhood it shows as extreme distress at partings, constant worry about harm, refusing to sleep alone, physical complaints and shadowing. Diagnosis is formed only by a clinician at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is Stereotyped Movement Disorder, and what does it look like in early childhood?
Stereotyped Movement Disorder (ICD-11 6A06) involves repetitive, rhythmic, purposeless movements — like rocking, hand-flapping or head-banging — that begin in early childhood, persist over time, and disrupt daily life or cause harm. Brief repetitive movements are common and harmless in toddlers; a clinician helps tell the difference and tailor support.
Read the answer AnswerAdaptive Behavior Assessment System, 3rd ed. (ABAS-3)
The ABAS-3 (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition) is a structured, carer- and teacher-completed questionnaire that measures adaptive behaviour — the practical everyday skills a person uses to function independently. It spans birth into adulthood and assesses three domains: conceptual (communication, early academics, self-direction), social (relationships, play, social rules) and practical (self-care, living skills, community use, health and safety). It is a descriptive tool used as one part of a fuller, clinician-interpreted assessment, never a diagnosis on its own.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the ADHD Behavioural Rating (screening module)?
The ADHD Behavioural Rating (screening module) is a structured questionnaire that gathers parent and teacher observations about a child's attention, activity level and impulse control across everyday settings. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis — it helps flag whether a fuller developmental review may help. It looks for consistent patterns across home and school, because behaviour that appears in more than one place matters more than a single difficult day, and a result is always an invitation to understand the whole child, never a verdict.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the ASQ-3 and what does it assess?
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires, 3rd edition (ASQ-3) is a parent-completed developmental screening tool for children from 1 month to about 5½ years. It checks five areas — communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social — using simple, age-specific questions. It is a screen, not a diagnosis: it flags whether development is on track or whether a closer professional look may help, so support can begin early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the ASQ:SE-2 and what does it assess?
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, 2nd edition (ASQ:SE-2) is a parent-completed screening tool for children from birth to about 6 years. It captures a caregiver's observations of a child's social and emotional development — self-regulation, compliance, adaptive functioning, autonomy, affect, social communication and interaction with people. It is a screen, not a diagnosis, designed to flag whether a closer developmental look would help.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)?
The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is a structured, in-depth interview a trained clinician conducts with a parent or caregiver as part of a comprehensive autism assessment. It is not a test the child sits and is never used alone. It explores a child's developmental history across three areas: communication and language, reciprocal social interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. Clinicians often pair it with a play-based child observation to form one rounded understanding.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the ADOS-2 and what does it assess?
The ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition) is a structured, play- and conversation-based assessment a trained clinician uses to observe social communication, interaction and play in a standardised way. Its modules flex by age and language level, from non-verbal toddlers to fluent adults. It is one of the most widely used tools to inform an autism evaluation, but it is never used alone — it is always interpreted with developmental history and clinical judgement, and it does not by itself give a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Toddler Module (ADOS-T)?
The ADOS-T (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Toddler Module) is a structured, play-based observation used by trained clinicians for very young children, broadly 12 to 30 months. Through gentle play activities it lets a clinician observe social communication, gestures and pointing, play and imagination, early sounds and words, and patterns of behaviour. It is not a test a child passes or fails, and it is never a diagnosis on its own — it is one source of information weighed alongside developmental history and other observations by an experienced clinician.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th ed. (Bayley-4)?
The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th edition (Bayley-4) is a clinician-administered, standardised assessment used with very young children, broadly from about 1 to 42 months. Through play-based tasks and parent report, it maps development across five areas — cognition, language, motor, social-emotional and adaptive behaviour. It is a measurement tool to understand strengths and support needs, not a diagnosis or a single pass-or-fail score, and must be administered by a trained professional.
Read the answer AnswerBehavior Assessment System for Children, 3rd Ed (BASC-3)
The Behavior Assessment System for Children, 3rd Edition (BASC-3) is a set of standardised, clinician-administered rating scales for ages roughly 2 to 25 years. It gathers information from parents, teachers and sometimes the child to describe both behavioural and emotional concerns (such as anxiety, mood, attention and conduct) and adaptive strengths (such as social skills and resilience). It is a measure that informs understanding within a wider assessment — not a diagnosis on its own.
Read the answer AnswerBehavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd Ed (BRIEF-2)
The BRIEF-2 is a structured questionnaire completed by parents, teachers and older children that describes how a child manages everyday executive-function skills — inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, and planning and organising. It is not a pass/fail test and not a diagnosis on its own; it is one piece a clinician uses, alongside observation and other measures, to understand the whole child.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd ed. (BOT-2)?
The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd edition (BOT-2) is a clinician-administered assessment of motor skills in children and young people, typically aged about 4 to 21 years. Through playful, hands-on tasks it measures fine-motor control, manual coordination, body coordination, and strength and agility. It is an assessment tool that describes motor strengths and support areas — not a diagnosis — and is most useful as one part of a fuller developmental picture.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones?
The CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones are free, age-based checklists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that describe what most children can do at key ages across four areas — social-emotional, language and communication, cognitive (learning and problem-solving), and movement. They are a tool to track development and prompt timely action, not a diagnostic test, and they give no score or label. If a checklist raises a concern, the message is to act early and ask a clinician for a developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, 2nd ed. (CARS-2)?
The Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2) is a clinician-administered rating tool that helps trained professionals identify and describe behaviours associated with autism. It is not a diagnosis or a self-test — it is one structured instrument used alongside observation, developmental history and parent input. The CARS-2 looks across areas such as relating to people, communication, emotional and sensory responses, and body and object use, with forms suited to different ages and ability levels.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is the CELF-5 and what does it assess?
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 5th edition (CELF-5) is a standardised, clinician-administered assessment used by speech-language pathologists to evaluate spoken language in children and young people aged about 5 to 21 years. It examines both how a child understands language (receptive) and how they express themselves (expressive) — covering instructions, sentence structure, word meanings, recall and conversation. It is a measurement tool that informs a support plan, not a diagnosis on its own.
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