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Special Education
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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
Does my child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech need AAC or a communication device?
For many children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, AAC — from picture boards to speech-generating devices — is a bridge to spoken language, not a replacement. Evidence shows it does not slow speech; it supports communication now while motor-speech therapy builds words over time. Whether and what kind of AAC suits a child is individual and decided with a speech-language therapist.
Read the answer AnswerAAC and Communication Devices for Developmental Language Disorder
Many children with DLD do not need a full communication device, but some benefit from AAC as a temporary bridge that supports spoken language rather than replacing it. Evidence shows AAC increases, not reduces, speech. The right choice is matched to your child by a speech-language therapist, never decided by the diagnosis alone.
Read the answer AnswerDoes my child with Intellectual Disability need AAC or a communication device?
AAC — from picture boards to speech-generating devices — can open communication sooner for many children with an intellectual disability and tends to support spoken language, not replace it. Whether your child needs it, and which kind, is decided through a clinician-led communication assessment, not a guess.
Read the answer AnswerDoes my child need AAC or a communication device?
AAC is not a last resort and does not hinder speech — evidence shows it often supports spoken language. For many minimally verbal children, giving a reliable way to communicate now reduces frustration and opens connection. Whether a child needs AAC, and which type, is decided through a clinician-led speech-language assessment, never guessed at home.
Read the answer AnswerAAC and Communication Devices for Rett Syndrome
Most children with Rett syndrome benefit greatly from AAC. Rett limits hand use and speech but not understanding or intent. Eye-gaze devices, switches and partner-assisted scanning give her a reliable way to communicate. The right system is matched to each child by a speech-language pathologist, and is best introduced early.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation Get Better As a Child Grows?
Being non-verbal or minimally verbal describes a child's communication right now, not their future. With early, consistent support — speech therapy and tools like AAC — most children build more effective communication over time, and these tools encourage rather than slow spoken language. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Oppositional Defiant Disorder Get Better or Worse?
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is not fixed in its course — with early, warm, consistent support and parent coaching, many children improve as they grow and defiant patterns soften, while unaddressed difficulties may persist into the teenage years. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Persistent Toe-Walking Get Better or Worse as a Child Grows?
Toe-walking often improves through the toddler years when the ankle moves freely and development is typical, but it can persist or become more fixed if heel cords tighten or it stays the main way of walking past age 3. Early, gentle physiotherapy helps most children walk flat-footed and comfortably. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk Get Better or Worse?
For most children, prematurity-related developmental risk eases rather than worsens as they grow, especially with early support. Using corrected age, many close the gap across the first two to three years. A smaller number carry longer-term needs, but progress is the rule when help starts early. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Rett Syndrome Get Better or Worse?
Rett Syndrome usually follows recognised stages rather than a steady decline: an early regression phase where skills are lost, then a long, more stable plateau where many children settle and can regain engagement and some abilities, with motor challenges that may slowly increase in later years. Consistent therapy during the plateau makes a real difference. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Rett Syndrome Run in Families?
Rett syndrome is genetic but rarely runs in families — it usually arises from a new, spontaneous change in the MECP2 gene that was not inherited, so recurrence risk in future children is generally very low. Genetic counselling gives families a personalised answer. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes School Readiness Gap Get Better or Worse Over Time?
A school readiness gap can narrow or widen depending on what happens next — it tends to close with early, targeted support in the specific lagging skills, and can grow when gaps go unnoticed as school demands rise each year. The early years are the most adaptable window. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Selective Mutism Get Better or Worse as a Child Grows?
Selective mutism often improves as a child grows when supported early and gently, but rarely resolves on its own — unaddressed, the silence can become a learned habit and the underlying anxiety can widen. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Self-Regulation Get Better or Worse as a Child Grows?
Self-regulation is a slowly maturing skill that, for most children, gets better as they grow — especially with early understanding and supportive practice. The course depends more on matching support to the child's needs than on the difficulty itself. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity get better or worse as a child grows?
Sensory-based feeding selectivity can improve or become more fixed as a child grows — the direction depends largely on how the eating challenge is supported. Calm, low-pressure, graded exposure usually widens a child's range, while pressure or no support can narrow it. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Separation Anxiety Disorder Get Better or Worse Over Time?
For most children, Separation Anxiety Disorder eases as they grow, particularly with consistent routines and gentle support; milder forms often fade naturally. Severe or long-lasting anxiety that disrupts school or sleep is less likely to resolve alone and benefits from structured, child-friendly therapy. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Social Communication Difficulty Get Better or Worse With Age?
For most children, social communication difficulties improve as they grow, especially with early, tailored support — though new social demands at school or in adolescence can make challenges feel more visible at certain stages. Progress is rarely a straight line, but the developing brain stays adaptable and children keep building social understanding into their teenage years. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Specific Learning Disability get better or worse as a child grows?
Specific Learning Disability is a lifelong way the brain processes certain information — it does not get worse on its own, but unsupported, the gap with peers and emotional toll can widen. With early, targeted support, a child's coping, skills and confidence grow well. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Stereotyped Movement Disorder get better or worse as a child grows?
For most children, stereotyped movements such as hand-flapping or rocking tend to ease and become less frequent as they grow, especially with understanding and supportive routines, though they often rise with tiredness, excitement or stress and settle when calm. A smaller number continue movements into later childhood, which can be lived with comfortably. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Tourette Syndrome Get Better or Worse As a Child Grows?
For most children, Tourette Syndrome improves with age: tics typically begin around 5–7, peak near 10–12, then ease through the teenage years, often markedly. Tics naturally wax and wane, so temporary flares are not a sign of lasting decline. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerDoes Visual Impairment Get Better or Worse as a Child Grows?
Whether visual impairment improves, stays stable or progresses depends on its underlying cause — but a child's ability to function, learn and thrive almost always improves with early support, because the young brain adapts to use available vision alongside the other senses. Regular eye-specialist review and early developmental intervention make the biggest difference. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow can a caregiver nurture a child's cognitive development day to day?
Caregivers nurture cognitive development through everyday responsive moments — rich back-and-forth talk, daily shared reading, purposeful play, offered choices, predictable routines, protected sleep and limited screens — following the child's curiosity rather than a curriculum. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow a classroom teacher can help a child with ADHD learn
Teachers can help a child with ADHD by reducing distractions, breaking work into short clear steps, building in movement and routine, using visual schedules, and praising effort early and often. Consistency between home and school makes these supports stick, and only a clinician can assess or diagnose ADHD.
Read the answer AnswerHow a Teacher Can Help a Child with Attachment Difficulties Learn
A child with attachment difficulties learns best with one consistent, calm adult, predictable routines, and connection before correction. Becoming a reliable secure base quiets the stress system so attention and curiosity can work. Share one plan across teacher, family and any therapy team for fastest progress.
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