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3
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
What signs suggest my child may need support with emotional responsiveness?
In a child aged about 3 to 7 years, signs that emotional responsiveness may need support include little reaction to a parent's warmth or distress, a flat or hard-to-read face, big feelings that take very long to settle, and rarely seeking or offering comfort. Many children vary naturally, so these are patterns to observe over weeks — not diagnose at home. When several signs persist across home, school and play, a warm developmental screen brings clarity early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with emotional understanding?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs a toddler may need support with emotional understanding include rarely checking your face for reassurance, little response to others' feelings, few words or gestures for emotions by age 2, and meltdowns that are unusually frequent, intense or hard to soothe for their age. Emotional skills grow at very different paces, so these are signs to observe and share with your doctor, not to diagnose at home. A warm developmental screen is the kindest first step, and early playful support never has to wait for a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with empathy?
Between about 3 and 7 years, empathy grows step by step — noticing feelings, naming them, comforting others, sharing and taking turns. Signs a child may need support include rarely noticing when someone is upset, difficulty reading faces or tone, struggling to share, or seeming puzzled by others' feelings. These are things to observe and nurture through play and modelling, not to diagnose at home; many children simply need more time. A pattern that persists for months, across home and preschool, or alongside language or play delays is worth a gentle developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with empathy development?
Between 3 and 7 years, plenty of self-focus is normal. Signs a child may benefit from empathy support include rarely noticing when others are upset, ongoing difficulty sharing or taking turns, trouble naming feelings, or seeming puzzled by others' reactions. These are cues to observe and support — not to diagnose at home. Empathy grows well with warm everyday coaching, and a developmental screen is a kind first step if patterns persist across months and settings.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with energy regulation?
In children aged 3–7, signs that energy regulation may need support include constant restlessness, difficulty staying seated, racing between activities without finishing, trouble winding down even when tired, and big swings between high energy and flatness. These are signs to observe and monitor, not to diagnose at home. Energy regulation develops gradually, so what matters is a pattern that is persistent across months, shows up in more than one setting, and interferes with daily life — best understood through a gentle developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with event description?
Between about 3 and 7 years, children learn to describe events — what happened, who, and in what order. Signs your child may need support include very short or hard-to-follow stories, jumbled order, trouble answering "what happened?", and heavy reliance on gestures or single words. These are patterns to observe and discuss, not to diagnose at home; early play-based support helps before any label, and a developmental screen is a kind next step if concerns persist.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with executive functioning?
In children aged 3–7, signs that executive functioning may need support include difficulty following two-step instructions, trouble starting or finishing tasks, frequent forgetting, struggling to wait or take turns, getting overwhelmed by change, and losing belongings. These skills develop slowly, so the key is a pattern stronger than peers that persists across home and school and affects daily life — signs to observe and support, not diagnose at home.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with expressive language?
For a child aged about 3 to 7 years, signs that expressive language may need support include a small vocabulary, short or jumbled sentences, frequent word-finding pauses, difficulty telling a simple story or answering 'wh-' questions, and relying on gestures over words. Many children develop on their own timeline, so these are signs to observe and discuss — not to diagnose at home. If several persist over months, a friendly speech check is the kindest next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with externalizing behaviors?
In children aged about 3 to 7, signs that externalizing behaviours may need support include very frequent or intense tantrums, regular aggression, difficulty following everyday rules, defiance that disrupts home or preschool, and trouble settling once upset. Occasional outbursts are normal — what matters is how often, how intensely, and whether daily life, friendships or learning are affected. These are signs to observe and discuss with a clinician, never to diagnose at home, and early warm support works well at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with eye contact?
In toddlers (12–36 months), signs that eye contact may need support include rarely looking to your face to share a moment, not following your gaze or pointing, limited looking when their name is called, and using eyes only to get a need met rather than to connect. These are signs to observe and screen, not to diagnose at home. Patterns that persist or cluster with delays in babbling, gestures or play are worth raising early with your paediatrician, where a brief screen like the M-CHAT-R/F can guide next steps.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with face recognition?
Between 3 and 7 years, most children recognise familiar people by their faces. Signs to watch include relying on voice, hair or clothing instead of the face, greeting familiar people flatly, struggling to find a known person until they speak, and limited eye contact around faces. These are signs to observe and gently explore, not to diagnose at home — and a simple vision check comes first. If the pattern persists across weeks and settings, a warm developmental screen is the right next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with family values?
Family values — sharing, kindness, honesty, respect and belonging — are skills that grow with practice, not a medical condition. Between 3 and 7, children naturally test limits. Signs a child may need more support include ongoing difficulty sharing or following routines, limited empathy, or trouble understanding right from wrong for their age. These are nudges to teach and model more warmly, not signs of anything wrong, and a friendly developmental check can help understand the whole child.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with feeding independence?
Between about 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with feeding independence include strong refusal of whole textures or food groups, persistent difficulty using utensils or an open cup, frequent gagging, coughing or choking, very messy or tiring mealtimes past expected ages, and mealtimes that feel stressful. Any coughing, choking or growth concern should be checked promptly. These are signs to observe and explore through a developmental screen, not to diagnose at home.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with fine motor?
For a toddler (about 1–3 years), signs that fine motor may need support include trouble picking up small objects with finger and thumb, hands kept fisted, difficulty holding a crayon or spoon, struggling to stack blocks, or a strong one-hand preference before 18 months. Many toddlers bloom on their own timeline, so these are signs to observe and monitor — not to diagnose at home. A check is wise if several signs cluster or persist over months, and gentle, play-based support never has to wait for a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with fluid reasoning?
In toddlers, fluid reasoning is the early ability to work out a new problem, spot a simple pattern, or adapt when the usual approach fails. Signs to watch include little exploration of how things work, difficulty copying simple new actions, trouble matching or sorting, giving up quickly when stuck, and few attempts at pretend play. These are things to observe and monitor, not diagnose at home, since toddlers learn at very different paces. A persistent gap across several months or spanning multiple areas is best understood through a developmental screen.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with focus and attention?
Between 1 and 3 years short attention spans are normal, so flitting from toy to toy is not a worry. Gentle signs worth observing include rarely settling on any activity even briefly, little shared attention, difficulty following a simple one-step instruction, and constant driven movement that's hard to redirect. These are patterns to watch and monitor, not to diagnose at home, and it is far too early to label ADHD. A hearing check usually comes first, and if a pattern persists across months and settings a gentle developmental screen is the kind next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with following directions?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs that a child may need support with following directions include needing instructions repeated often, losing track of two- or three-step tasks, appearing to 'tune out', and struggling with position or sequence words. These are patterns to observe and note, not diagnose at home — especially when frequent and across home, play and preschool. A hearing check comes first, and a warm developmental screen helps pinpoint whether language, attention, hearing or processing needs gentle support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with foot control?
Between 1 and 3 years, signs your toddler may need support with foot control include not walking by around 18 months, constant toe-walking, ankles turning in or out, frequent tripping, or a clear difference between the two feet. Most toddlers find their feet with time, so these are signs to observe and screen — not diagnose at home. A simple developmental screen and a paediatric review come first, and early playful support helps when it's needed.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with friendship seeking?
Between about 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with friendship seeking include rarely approaching other children, hovering at the edge of play, struggling to start or sustain simple games, missing peers' social cues, or distress about being alone. Many children are simply slow-to-warm, so these are patterns to observe over time, not diagnose at home. If the difficulty is steady across many months and several settings, a friendly developmental screen is the kind next step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with friendship skills?
Between 3 and 7 years, signs a child may need support with friendship skills include difficulty joining or staying in play, trouble taking turns or sharing, frequent conflict or playing mostly alone, missing social cues, and struggling to keep conversations going. These are everyday patterns to observe gently, not diagnose at home — and they respond well to warm, playful support. If they persist across home, school and playground, a developmental screen helps you understand what your child needs.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with frustration tolerance?
Signs a child (3–7 years) may need support with frustration tolerance include intense meltdowns over small setbacks, quickly giving up on hard tasks, difficulty waiting or taking turns, hitting or throwing when upset, and slow recovery afterwards. Frustration tolerance is a learnable skill that grows with age and gentle coaching, so these are signs to observe and support — not to diagnose at home. A developmental screen helps if meltdowns are frequent, span several settings, or aren't easing as your child grows.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with game rule understanding?
Between ages 3–7, signs a child may need support with game rule understanding include difficulty waiting for a turn, not grasping simple rules after several plays, trouble following a sequence, big upset when play doesn't go their way, or always changing rules. Most children learn these skills gradually through play, so these are signs to observe and gently support — not to diagnose at home. A pattern that persists over months or across settings is worth a friendly developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with general knowledge?
For a child aged 3–7, signs they may need support with general knowledge can include trouble naming familiar objects, animals or colours, difficulty answering simple 'what' and 'why' questions, limited curiosity, and learning new facts much more slowly than peers. These are signs to observe and gently support — not to diagnose at home. A developmental screen looks at knowledge alongside language, attention and play, and early playful support helps knowledge grow naturally.
Read the answer AnswerWhat signs suggest my child may need support with general sensory regulation?
Signs a child (around 3–7 years) may need support with general sensory regulation include strong reactions to sounds, textures, lights or mess; or seeking lots of movement, crashing and deep pressure. You may also see meltdowns in busy places, trouble winding down, and fussiness with clothing, food textures or grooming. These are patterns to observe and understand, not diagnose at home — and gentle support often makes daily life smoother.
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