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3
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
What does it mean if my child is not yet showing stair climbing?
Children usually start climbing stairs between about 18 months and 3 years, progressing from both-feet steps with help to confident alternating feet. If a child of 3 to 7 isn't yet climbing stairs, it is most often about opportunity, confidence or practice rather than a problem. Seek a developmental check if stair climbing lags well behind other movements, or if your child seems unusually stiff, floppy, unsteady or fearful — a reason to review, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing standing balance?
Standing balance is holding a steady upright stance without toppling — most children stand briefly alone by about 12 months and grow steadier through the second year. If your toddler isn't yet showing it, their muscles, core and inner-ear systems are likely still maturing — not a sign something is wrong, but a good reason for a gentle developmental check, since early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing static balance?
Static balance — holding the body steady while standing still — develops gradually between ages 3 and 7, so brief wobbles are normal. Seek a developmental check if your child consistently can't stand steady, falls often, can't hold a one-foot stand by 4–5, tires quickly when upright, or loses a skill. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — and occupational therapy builds steadiness through play.
Read the answer AnswerWhat it means if your child isn't showing stereotyped behaviours
Not showing stereotyped behaviours such as rocking, flapping or spinning is completely typical and not a delay — these movements are not a milestone children must reach. Many toddlers simply never show them. What matters at 12–36 months is steady growth in communication, social connection, play and movement. Seek a developmental check if there are few words, little eye contact, no pointing, no response to name, or loss of a skill — not because repetitive movements are absent.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing story recall?
Story recall develops gradually between ages 3 and 7, so a child not yet doing it is often simply earlier on a normal path, not a problem. It draws on working memory, attention and language together. Watch it alongside following instructions and spoken language, build it through shared reading and retelling, and seek a friendly developmental check if concern persists.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing storytelling skills?
Storytelling — retelling events, describing pictures, making up tales — develops gradually between about 3 and 7 years, and many children share fragments before sequencing whole stories. Seek a developmental check if your child has very few words, can't order two or three ideas, doesn't follow simple stories, or if narrative delay sits alongside wider communication delays. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing support?
Between 3 and 7 years, a child not yet showing a skill usually means they need more time, practice or the right encouragement — children develop on their own timelines. It is worth a calm developmental check when the gap is wide for their age, isn't closing with everyday support, or travels with delays in talking, playing or connecting. This is a reason to look closely, not a diagnosis, because early support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing sustained attention?
For a toddler aged 1–3, short and shifting attention is normal — sustained focus is still being built, so "not yet" rarely signals a problem. Watch whether your child ever settles on a loved activity, connects with you, and grows in words and play. Mention any worry at a developmental check; formal attention assessment only becomes meaningful nearer school age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing tactile processing?
Between 12 and 36 months, tactile processing is still developing, so a touch-cautious or touch-seeking toddler is usually within the typical range. A developmental check is wise if touch responses are very extreme — strong distress at everyday textures, or not noticing touch, pain or temperature — especially alongside delays in play, movement or communication. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis, because gentle support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task completion?
Between three and seven, not yet finishing tasks is usually a developing skill, not a problem — attention spans are short and grow with practice and maturity. Seek a developmental check if unfinished tasks persist well behind peers, come with restlessness or easy distraction, and show up at both home and school. This is a reason to screen early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task initiation?
Task initiation — starting an activity without lots of prompting — is one of the last executive-function skills to mature and grows slowly through the early years. At 3 to 7, needing nudges to begin is common and usually develops with routine and practice. Seek a calm developmental check if difficulty starting is frequent across home and preschool, travels with attention, language or learning concerns, or causes daily frustration — not a diagnosis, but a reason for early, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task management?
For a child aged 3 to 7, task management — starting, sticking with and finishing small tasks — is still developing, and needing lots of help is normal at this stage. Not yet showing it is rarely a diagnosis; it usually means attention, memory and sequencing are still growing. A gentle developmental check is wise if the gap feels large or affects daily life, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task monitoring?
Task monitoring — noticing, checking and adjusting while doing a task — is still developing between ages 3 and 7, so occasional lost-track moments are normal. Seek a gentle developmental check if, by around age 5–6, your child rarely notices their own mistakes, cannot manage simple two- or three-step tasks, or this comes with attention or language differences. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task participation?
If your 3-to-7-year-old isn't yet showing task participation — settling to an activity, following a simple instruction, or finishing a small job — it usually means they need more support to build attention and motivation, not that anything is wrong. Children develop these skills at different paces. It's a reason for a gentle developmental check, never a diagnosis, because early, playful support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task persistence?
Between ages 3 and 7, task persistence grows slowly and depends on interest, tiredness and difficulty — short attention and quick task-switching are usually typical. Seek a developmental check if low persistence is marked for your child's age, shows up at home and preschool, and travels with differences in attention, language, play or learning. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat it means if your child isn't yet showing task responsibility
Between 3 and 7, task responsibility develops gradually as attention, memory and self-organisation mature. A child not yet showing it usually just needs more time and warm routine practice — not a diagnosis. Seek a developmental check if the gap is wide for their age or paired with speech, attention or self-care concerns, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing task speed?
Slower task speed in a 3-to-7-year-old — how quickly they finish dressing, puzzles or tidying — is very often typical, reflecting a careful style, distraction, or a still-developing skill. A developmental check is wise when slowness is new, worsening, present across many activities, or travels with attention, instruction-following, motor or learning difficulties. This is not a diagnosis — just a reason for a gentle clinician's look, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing temporal concepts?
Temporal concepts are time words like before, after, today and tomorrow, which develop gradually between about ages 3 and 6. A child not yet showing them is usually just on their own timeline — not a diagnosis. It is worth a developmental check if time words are missing alongside other receptive-language delays such as trouble following directions or limited vocabulary.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing tiptoe balance?
Tiptoe balance is one of many balance skills that emerge gradually between about 3 and 7 years; standing still on tiptoes often settles around 4–5. Not showing it yet is usually about timing and practice, not a problem. Look at the whole movement picture — confident walking, running, jumping and climbing — and seek a gentle developmental check if there is frequent falling, very stiff or floppy legs, persistent toe-walking, or any loss of a skill.
Read the answer AnswerWhat if my child isn't showing tiptoe walking?
Tiptoe walking is not a milestone your child needs to reach — many toddlers never tiptoe, and that is completely typical. Between 12 and 36 months, what matters is steady, flat-footed walking, not toe-walking. A child not showing tiptoe walking is almost always doing exactly what we'd hope. Concern relates to persistent toe-walking beyond age 2–3 or to not walking at all by 18 months, not to its absence.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing toileting skills?
Toileting is a complex self-care skill that children master across a wide range, most between 2 and 4 years. A child of 3 to 7 not yet fully trained is usually within normal variation. Look more closely when there is no progress over several months, no awareness of the urge to go, or other developmental delays alongside it. These are reasons to support and review early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing transitioning?
Transitioning is a child's ability to shift smoothly between activities, places or routines. Between 3 and 7 years this skill is still maturing, so occasional difficulty at change-overs is normal. "Not yet transitioning" usually means your child needs more predictability and support — not a diagnosis. Seek a developmental check if struggles are daily, intense and limiting across home and school, as early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing turn-taking skills?
Turn-taking develops gradually between ages 3 and 7 and is often uneven at first — if your child isn't showing it yet, it usually means they need more practice, not a diagnosis. Watch for difficulty with simple turn games, talking over others, or limited shared attention, especially when these appear together. A developmental check is wise if turn-taking is well behind peers or comes with other communication differences — early, play-based support works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing understanding?
Understanding means receptive language — how a toddler makes sense of words, names, gestures and simple requests, which usually develops before talking. Between 12 and 36 months, a child not yet turning to their name, following simple instructions or pointing to named objects may be on their own timeline or may benefit from an early check. This is not a diagnosis; it is a calm reason to look closely now, starting with a hearing check, because early support works best at this age.
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