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Special Education
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
When Should I Worry About Selective Mutism at 5?
At five, the time to seek a check for Selective Mutism is when your child speaks freely at home but consistently does not speak at school or in specific settings for at least a month, beyond the normal settling-in period, and this affects learning or friendships. The ability to speak is clearly there — this is anxiety-based, not shyness or a speech delay. It is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because gentle early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about self-regulation difficulties at 5?
At five, occasional big feelings and meltdowns are normal as children learn to manage emotions. Worry — and seek a developmental check — when self-regulation difficulties are frequent, intense, slow to recover from, appear across home and school, and disrupt friendships, learning or daily routines over weeks to months. Only a clinician can assess what's underneath.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about feeding selectivity at five?
At five, choosy eating is often normal. It is worth a clinician's eye when selectivity is intense and persistent — a very small accepted-food list, strong texture or sensory distress, gagging at new foods, whole food groups refused, and impact on growth, nutrition or family life. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis, because gentle support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 5-year-old might have Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Some separation worry is normal at five. Seek a review when distress is intense, lasts most days for about four weeks or more, and disrupts school, sleep, friendships or family life — for example school refusal, constant fear of harm to you, nightmares or physical complaints at parting. This is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis, and early support works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about social communication difficulties at 5?
By five, most children manage back-and-forth conversation, turn-taking and reading basic social cues. Worry is warranted when a child consistently struggles with the social use of language — across home and school, over several weeks — even though their words and intelligence are fine. This warrants a calm clinician check, not alarm, and only a clinician can confirm what's underneath.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Stereotyped Movement Disorder at 5?
Many 5-year-olds make repetitive movements like rocking or hand-flapping, and alone these are often harmless. Seek a developmental check when movements are frequent, hard to interrupt, interfere with play, learning or friendships, or cause harm such as head-banging. These are reasons to assess, not a diagnosis — and early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About Tourette Syndrome in a 5-Year-Old
At five, brief tics like blinking, sniffing or throat-clearing are very common and usually fade within months — this is not Tourette Syndrome. Tourette is only considered when both movement and vocal tics have come and gone for more than a year, starting before age 18. The wise step now is to watch gently, keep a short diary, and seek a check if tics persist beyond a year, cause distress or disrupt daily life.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about visual impairment in my 5-year-old?
At 5, seek a vision check if your child consistently squints, sits very close to the screen or book, tilts their head, rubs the eyes a lot, has headaches or blurry vision, or bumps into things in dim light. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis. Most childhood vision problems respond very well to early correction, so catching them now protects the school years ahead.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About Attachment Difficulties at 6–9 Months
Attachment Difficulties (ICD-11 6B44) cannot be diagnosed at 6–9 months — this pattern is recognised only later in early childhood. What matters now is observing the warm, two-way connection of this age: comfort-seeking, social smiling, eye contact and emerging stranger awareness. A baby who consistently cannot be comforted, shows little eye contact, or seems persistently flat deserves a gentle general developmental and hearing check — not a label. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about Auditory Processing Difficulties at 6-9 months
At 6–9 months it's too early to identify Auditory Processing Difficulties — that label needs an older, testable child, usually after age 4–5. What matters now is basic hearing: does your baby startle to sound, turn towards voices and make early sounds? If not, a prompt hearing check, not a processing assessment, is the right step.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about anxiety in my 6–9 month old?
At 6 to 9 months there is no clinically meaningful diagnosis of Childhood Anxiety and no signs list to fear. Stranger wariness and separation protest are healthy milestones that show secure attachment forming. Anxiety as a concern is considered only in older children, always via a clinician. If overall development worries you — soothing, smiling, babbling, eye contact — seek a general developmental check, where reassurance is the likely result.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about CAS at 6–9 months
At 6 to 9 months it is not yet possible or meaningful to identify Childhood Apraxia of Speech, because word-making hasn't begun. This age is for watching pre-speech foundations — babbling, eye contact, turn-taking and responding to sound. CAS assessment becomes appropriate around 2–3 years, once a child attempts words. Any general hearing or communication concern deserves a routine developmental check; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about epilepsy in my 6-to-9-month-old?
Suspected epilepsy in a 6-to-9-month-old is a medical concern needing prompt GP or paediatrician review, not therapy first. Clusters of sudden jerks or head nods (infantile spasms) need urgent same-day attention. A single odd episode is not a diagnosis; only a doctor with an EEG can confirm. Pinnacle supports development alongside, never instead of, medical care.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about sleep in a 6-to-9-month-old
At 6 to 9 months, frequent night waking and short naps are normal, not a disorder — sleep is still developing. Worry more about daytime red flags: snoring or breathing pauses, a baby who cannot be settled at all, poor weight gain, unusual floppiness or drowsiness, or loss of skills. Ordinary broken nights ease with time and gentle routines; the daytime signals deserve a prompt clinician check.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about Conduct Disorder in a 6–9-month-old
Conduct-Dissocial Disorder (ICD-11 6C91) cannot be identified in a 6-to-9-month-old — it describes a persistent pattern of rule-violating behaviour that only emerges in older children who understand rules and intent. Crying, grabbing, arching and frustration at this age are normal infant communication and signs of healthy development. What is appropriate now is observing eye contact, babbling, soothability and milestones, and seeking a general developmental check if those concern you — never a behaviour diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About DCD in a 6-to-9-Month-Old
Developmental Coordination Disorder cannot be diagnosed in a 6-to-9-month-old — it concerns skilled motor movements that emerge later, usually identified after age 5. At this age, simply watch broad gross-motor milestones like sitting, rolling and reaching, and enjoy milestone-rich play. A persistent concern such as very stiff or floppy tone deserves a calm paediatric check, not a DCD worry. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About DLD at 6–9 Months
At 6–9 months it is too early to diagnose Developmental Language Disorder — DLD is identified much later, usually after age 4–5. Right now babies are building the foundations: babbling, responding to voices, turn-taking and shared attention. Rather than worry about DLD, enjoy and gently observe these milestones, and seek a hearing and developmental check if babble or responses to sound are consistently absent by 9 months. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about regression at 6–9 months?
True developmental regression — losing skills a baby had clearly gained — is uncommon at 6–9 months, but any genuine, sustained loss of babbling, eye contact, smiling, reaching or sitting deserves a prompt clinician review rather than watchful waiting. Brief plateaus while learning a new skill, or quietness when unwell or teething, are usually not regression.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-to-9-month-old might have Developmental Trauma?
At 6–9 months there is no signs-checklist that confirms developmental trauma, and a single hard moment does not harm a baby. What matters is the pattern of safe, responsive care and whether your baby connects, comforts and grows. Persistent switched-off behaviour, or a family history of real hardship, warrants a gentle, early clinician conversation — never panic.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Down syndrome at 6–9 months?
Down syndrome is genetic and almost always identified at or soon after birth via a blood test — not something that newly appears at 6–9 months. If your baby was checked at birth with no concern, the chance now is very low. Track healthy milestones, and ask for a developmental check if anything worries you. Only a clinician can confirm anything.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about dyscalculia in my 6-to-9-month-old?
Dyscalculia cannot be identified in a 6-to-9-month-old, because it is a difficulty with formal number learning that only becomes meaningful around age 7–8. At this age there is nothing to test and nothing to worry about regarding maths. The right focus now is rich play and the broad first-year developmental milestones — and any concern about those, not numbers, is the reason for a general developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerDysgraphia at 6–9 months: when to worry
Dysgraphia is a written-expression difficulty that can only be recognised once a child is learning to write — usually around age 6–8. At 6 to 9 months there is nothing to worry about regarding dysgraphia. What matters now is enjoying and observing early fine-motor and communication milestones like reaching, grasping and babbling. Any broad developmental concern deserves a gentle clinician's check; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about dyslexia in a 6–9-month-old
Dyslexia is a reading difficulty that only becomes meaningful once a child is learning to read — usually around age 6 to 8. At 6 to 9 months a baby isn't reading, so dyslexia cannot be identified or ruled out, and there is nothing to worry about now. What helps is observing early communication, hearing and play, and reading aloud daily. Any concern about hearing or babbling deserves a prompt check, separate from dyslexia. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about emotional & behavioural difficulties at 6–9 months
At 6–9 months, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties is not a meaningful label — it describes older children. What matters now is your baby's connection: shared smiles, comfort-seeking and curiosity. Fussiness and clinginess are normal. Raise any persistent concern with your paediatrician for a general developmental check, not a behavioural diagnosis.
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