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Assessment & diagnosis
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Assessment & diagnosis
Dyscalculia Screening & Diagnostic Pathway Under 7
Under 7, formal dyscalculia (ICD-11 6A03.2) diagnosis is usually premature; the recommended pathway is structured surveillance and screening of early number sense, with confirmatory standardised assessment reserved for age ~7–8 when arithmetic fails to respond to good instruction. A clinical AbilityScore and diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerDysgraphia screening and diagnostic pathway under 7
Under age 7, written expression is still emerging, so formal Dysgraphia diagnosis is rarely appropriate. The pathway is watch-and-monitor: screen foundational skills (fine-motor, graphomotor, phonological awareness, language, visual-motor integration), rule out vision/hearing/global delay, monitor against adequate instruction, and begin OT support without waiting for a label.
Read the answer AnswerDyslexia screening and diagnostic pathway under 7
Under 7, dyslexia (ICD-11 6A03.0) is screened, not diagnosed: identify phonological and emergent-literacy precursors, exclude hearing, vision and instructional confounders, deliver structured phonics, and monitor response. Formal psychoeducational diagnosis becomes meaningful around ages 7–8. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerScreening & diagnostic pathway for emotional & behavioural difficulties under 7
For children under 7, screening for emotional and behavioural difficulties is staged: universal surveillance at every visit, validated multi-informant screening (SDQ, CBCL/1½–5) when concern arises, exclusion of sensory, sleep, language and relational contributors, then conservative multidisciplinary assessment. Diagnosis is dimensional and function-led at this age; Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFeeding & eating difficulties: screening and diagnostic pathway under 7
For children under 7, screen feeding and eating difficulties at every well-child contact using growth trajectory, feeding history and brief parent-report tools. Escalate urgently on aspiration, choking, faltering growth or feed-related distress. Differentiate organic, behavioural and sensory contributors, then characterise via multidisciplinary assessment — speech-language pathology, dietetics, OT and paediatrics — per ICD-11 6B8Z.
Read the answer AnswerFASD screening and diagnostic pathway in children under 7
FASD in children under 7 follows a staged pathway: non-judgemental prenatal alcohol risk screening, then multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment of the three sentinel facial features, pre/postnatal growth, CNS involvement across functional domains, and documented or probable exposure. There is no single test — diagnosis is a clinical synthesis, and developmental surveillance continues regardless of facial findings.
Read the answer AnswerRecommended Screening & Diagnostic Pathway for Fine Motor Delay Under 7
For under-7s, screen fine motor delay opportunistically at every well-child contact with validated tools (ASQ-3, PEDS) plus surveillance, then refer for multidisciplinary assessment when cut-offs are missed or concern persists. Diagnosis rests on standardised motor assessment and exclusion of sensory, neurological or global causes — not screening alone.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and diagnostic pathway for genetic and chromosomal syndromes under 7
For children under 7, the pathway is stepwise: clinical suspicion from history and examination, targeted first-tier genetic testing (chromosomal microarray first-line, with karyotype and Fragile X where indicated), and parallel multidisciplinary developmental assessment. Genetic confirmation and habilitation run together — therapy does not wait for a molecular result.
Read the answer AnswerGlobal Developmental Delay: the screening and diagnostic pathway under 7
For children under 7, the pathway is developmental surveillance at every visit, validated screening at defined ages, and prompt multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation when two or more domains fall significantly below age level. GDD is a finding under age 5 that mandates aetiological workup, not an endpoint — and intervention should begin in parallel, never waiting for a cause to be identified.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and diagnostic pathway for Gross Motor Delay under 7
Gross motor delay in under-7s follows a surveillance-plus-screening pathway: milestone tracking at every visit, validated screens at routine checkpoints, and prompt referral for neuromotor assessment to differentiate central, peripheral and orthopaedic causes before therapy planning. Diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and diagnostic pathway for hearing impairment under 7
For under-7s, follow the 1-3-6 cascade: newborn hearing screening by 1 month, diagnostic audiological confirmation by 3 months, and early intervention by 6 months — with ongoing surveillance and risk-factor monitoring at every well-child visit, since a passed newborn screen does not exclude later-onset loss.
Read the answer AnswerRecommended Screening & Diagnostic Pathway for Childhood Hypotonia
Hypotonia is a clinical sign, not a diagnosis. The recommended pathway confirms low tone, localises it as central or peripheral, and pursues aetiology (imaging, CK, metabolic and genetic testing, EMG as indicated) while validated developmental screening and functional therapy proceed in parallel. A clinical AbilityScore and diagnosis are established only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and Diagnostic Pathway for Intellectual Disability in Children Under 7
For children under 7, the pathway is developmental surveillance at every contact, validated screening when concern arises, then multidisciplinary formal assessment combining standardised cognitive and adaptive testing — with hearing/vision and medical causes ruled out first. Below age 5 the working label is global developmental delay; a confirmed ICD-11 6A00 diagnosis follows reliable testing. Diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and diagnostic pathway for Motor Planning Difficulties in children under 7
For children under 7, motor planning difficulties follow a stepped pathway: developmental surveillance, a validated motor screen, differential framing against medical causes, then multidisciplinary OT/PT/SLT assessment anchored to function. Formal DCD diagnosis is generally deferred to ~5 years. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerScreening & diagnostic pathway for non-verbal / minimally verbal children under 7
For a non-verbal or minimally verbal child under 7, the pathway is audiology first to exclude hearing loss, then standardised developmental and communication screening, then multidisciplinary assessment (SLP, developmental paediatrics, cognitive/adaptive) and aetiological work-up. Minimally verbal status is a presentation, not a diagnosis; prompt neurology referral applies if regression or seizures are present.
Read the answer AnswerODD Screening and Diagnostic Pathway Under 7
For children under 7, ODD (ICD-11 6C90) follows a tiered pathway: validated broad-band screening, multi-informant data across home and preschool, structured clinical assessment, and careful differentiation from age-typical oppositionality, ADHD, anxiety and language delay. Diagnosis requires frequent, pervasive, persistent symptoms beyond the developmental baseline; first-line care is parent-mediated behavioural intervention.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and Diagnostic Pathway for Persistent Toe-Walking Under 7
For under-7s, persistent toe-walking follows a structured exclusion pathway: history (onset, milestones, family pattern), examination (passive dorsiflexion, tone, reflexes, symmetry) and red-flag screening. Idiopathic toe-walking is bilateral with full dorsiflexion, normal tone and typical development — a diagnosis of exclusion. Asymmetry, spasticity, fixed contracture, regression or co-occurring delay warrant neurology/orthopaedic referral.
Read the answer AnswerScreening & Diagnostic Pathway for Prematurity-Related Developmental Risk
Preterm developmental follow-up is risk-stratified and longitudinal: track to corrected age, combine clinical surveillance with validated screens (ASQ, GMA, motor exam, 18–24-month ASD screen), and escalate to multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment when screens flag or trajectory deviates. A clinical AbilityScore and diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerRett Syndrome Diagnostic Pathway in Children Under 7
Rett syndrome (ICD-11 LD90.0) is diagnosed clinically using consensus criteria and confirmed by MECP2 (plus CDKL5/FOXG1 for variants) testing. There is no population screen, so developmental surveillance for the regression-and-hand-stereotypy phenotype drives referral, alongside EEG, ECG and scoliosis review.
Read the answer AnswerScreening & Diagnostic Pathway for School Readiness Gap (Under 7)
School Readiness Gap in under-7s is identified via a tiered pathway: universal surveillance, validated multidomain screening when concern arises, then structured assessment after confirming hearing and vision. It is a functional descriptor driving intervention, not a fixed label — specific learning disability is not reliably confirmed before ~6–8 years.
Read the answer AnswerSelective Mutism Screening & Diagnostic Pathway in Under-7s
In children under 7, screen Selective Mutism (ICD-11 6B06) via multi-setting parent, teacher and clinician report confirming speech is present at home but consistently absent elsewhere for over a month. Differentiate from hearing loss, primary language disorder and the normal bilingual silent period, then confirm through structured observation rather than coaxing. Diagnosis and AbilityScore® are clinician-established at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerRecommended screening and diagnostic pathway for self-regulation difficulties under 7
Self-regulation difficulties in under-7s have no single test; the recommended pathway is tiered — universal surveillance, standardised screening, then multidisciplinary functional assessment grounded in the WHO ICF model. It is often a transdiagnostic feature, so clinicians should build a functional formulation across sensory, executive, emotional, language and attachment domains rather than apply a premature label. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerScreening and Diagnostic Pathway for Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity Under 7
Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity in under-7s follows a staged pathway: validated parent-report screening, medical and swallow-safety review to exclude organic causes, then SLT/OT-led structured feeding and sensory assessment. Diagnosis is a clinician-led, multi-domain judgement formed only at a Pinnacle centre — never on intake alone.
Read the answer AnswerScreening & Diagnostic Pathway for Sensory Processing Differences (Under 7)
Screening for Sensory Processing Differences under 7 is stepwise: developmental surveillance and parent concern, validated sensory questionnaires, a structured differential work-up (hearing, vision, ASD, ADHD, anxiety, global delay), and OT-led standardised assessment framed within the WHO ICF model — there is no single confirmatory test, and characterisation is multidisciplinary.
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