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3
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
When should I worry that my 4-year-old might have Specific Learning Disability?
At four, Specific Learning Disability cannot yet be diagnosed — it needs formal schooling to emerge, usually after age 6–8. The wise step now is to watch pre-literacy foundations (sounds, letters, language) and strengthen them through play. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess; an online form never can.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about speech and language delay at 4?
By four, most children speak in sentences and are understood outside the family. A persistent pattern — short or jumbled speech, hard for strangers to understand, or trouble following directions — is a fair reason to check. Worry is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis; only a clinician can confirm.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 5-year-old has ADHD?
At five, being wriggly and distractible is often normal. The real flag is a strong pattern of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity lasting 6+ months across home and preschool that disrupts learning and friendships. Worry is a reason to check — only a clinician can confirm ADHD.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 5-year-old might have Autism Spectrum?
At five, look for a persistent cluster of patterns — limited two-way social connection, very literal or repetitive speech, reduced gestures, strong need for sameness and sensory sensitivities — across home and school. A single behaviour is common; a lasting pattern is the real flag. Worry is a reason to check, not a diagnosis — only a Pinnacle clinician can confirm.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 5-year-old might have Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy almost always shows before age five as a persistent movement pattern — stiffness, one-sided preference, or an unusual gait — not as a sudden new change. A steady pattern is worth a developmental check; only a clinician can confirm it.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Down syndrome in my 5-year-old?
Down syndrome is identified at or near birth, not newly discovered at five. If your child was checked as a newborn without diagnosis, it is very unlikely now. Any worry about learning or development deserves a general developmental check — only a clinician can guide you.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Global Developmental Delay at 5?
Worry is reasonable, but worry is not a diagnosis. At five, the real flag for Global Developmental Delay is a persistent pattern of being meaningfully behind across two or more areas — language, learning, self-care, movement or social skills. A clinician can confirm it; early checking helps most.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 5-year-old might have hearing impairment?
By five, a child should hear soft speech across a room and speak clearly. A persistent pattern of mishearing, asking for repetition, loud TV or unclear speech — across home and school — warrants a simple hearing check. Worry is a reason to test, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 5-year-old has Intellectual Disability?
Worry at five is reasonable, but worry is not a diagnosis. A broad, persistent lag across thinking, language, learning and everyday self-care — not one slow area — is the real reason to check. Only a Pinnacle clinician can confirm it, and early support helps most.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Sensory Processing Differences in my 5-year-old?
At five, occasional sensory fussiness is normal. Worry when an intense pattern — strong over- or under-reaction to sounds, textures, foods or movement — regularly disrupts dressing, eating, play, sleep or school. That pattern is a reason to check, not a diagnosis; only a Pinnacle clinician can assess it.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-to-9-month-old might have Autism Spectrum?
At 6-to-9 months, autism cannot be reliably identified — the patterns it is recognised by emerge later. This is the age for joyful interaction and routine developmental monitoring, not an autism checklist. Screening becomes meaningful around 16–18 months. Only a clinician can assess; worry is best channelled into watchful connection.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about cerebral palsy at 6–9 months?
Between 6 and 9 months, watch how your baby moves rather than one milestone: persistent stiffness or floppiness, strong one-sidedness, fisted hands, poor head control or no rolling are worth a gentle check. A pattern that persists is the real flag — and early assessment is hopeful, not frightening. Only a Pinnacle clinician can confirm anything.
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 Global Developmental Delay at 6–9 months?
At 6–9 months one late milestone is usually normal — babies vary widely. Global Developmental Delay describes a meaningful lag across two or more areas, or loss of skills. A pattern, not a single delay, is the flag. Only a clinician can assess it; worry is a reason to check, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about hearing impairment at 6–9 months?
By 6–9 months most babies turn to sounds, babble and react to familiar voices. A consistent pattern of missing these is worth a prompt hearing check — not panic. Worry is a reason to assess; only a clinician can confirm hearing impairment.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Intellectual Disability in my 6-to-9-month-old?
At 6–9 months Intellectual Disability cannot be diagnosed and that worry isn't clinically meaningful yet. Watch the whole sweep of development — smiling, babbling, responding, sitting, reaching. Several delays together by 9 months are a reason for a friendly developmental check, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to Worry About Sensory Processing at 6–9 Months
At 6–9 months, Sensory Processing Differences aren't diagnosed — sensory systems are still maturing. Observe patterns over weeks rather than single moments, watch general milestones, and raise any persistent concern at a routine developmental check. Only a clinician can assess.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Specific Learning Disability at 6–9 months?
A Specific Learning Disability cannot be identified at 6–9 months — it is recognised only once formal schooling begins, around age 6–8. At this age, watch general development: smiling, babbling, looking, reaching and connecting. Worry is a good reason for a general developmental check, not a learning-disability label.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to worry about Speech and Language Delay at 6-9 months
At 6–9 months it is too early to diagnose Speech and Language Delay — your baby is building pre-language skills like babbling and responding to sound. Watch these foundations over time and check hearing if your baby doesn't react to sound. Only a clinician forms any diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have ADHD?
Many six-year-olds are restless and forgetful — that alone isn't ADHD. Worry is warranted when inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity is stronger than peers, lasts six months or more, and shows up both at home and school, affecting daily life. Only a clinician can confirm it.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry my 6-year-old might have autism?
By six, you have enough everyday evidence to act on. A persistent pattern of social-communication differences, strong need for sameness, and sensory sensitivities — across home and school — is worth a check. Worry is a reason to assess, not a diagnosis; only a clinician can confirm autism.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is almost always recognised in infancy or the toddler years, not first at age six, because its hallmark is how a child moves. In a 6-year-old, watch for long-standing movement and coordination difficulties — but a sudden new change needs prompt medical review. Only a clinician can confirm anything.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry that my 6-year-old might have Down Syndrome?
Down syndrome is present from birth and identified at or soon after birth, not newly at age six. If your child reached six without it, it is very unlikely now. What you're noticing is likely a learning or speech difference worth a general developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should I worry about Global Developmental Delay at 6?
By age six, a child can be assessed more fully than the under-five term GDD allows. Worry is reasonable if your child lags across several areas at once — learning, language, movement, self-care. That is a reason to check, not a diagnosis. Only a Pinnacle clinician can confirm what it means.
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