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Therapy & support
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Therapy & support
How much screen time is safe for a 6-to-9-month-old?
For a 6-to-9-month-old, the recommendation is no screen time apart from live video calls; under-1s learn best from real, responsive interaction with people, not screens. Background TV should be switched off, and mealtimes and bedtimes kept screen-free. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow much screen time is safe for a 6-year-old?
For a 6-year-old, keep recreational screen time to around an hour or less of good-quality content on most days, viewed together where possible, and never letting screens crowd out sleep, active play, meals or family connection. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerScreen Time for a 9-to-12-Month-Old
For a 9-to-12-month-old, the safest amount of screen time is essentially none, apart from live video calls with family. WHO and AAP advise avoiding screens before 18 months because babies learn best from face-to-face interaction and hands-on play. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow much screen time is safe for a newborn?
For a newborn (0–3 months) the safe amount of screen time is none — paediatric bodies advise avoiding screens before 18–24 months, apart from occasional video calls. Newborn brains grow through faces, voices, touch and movement, not screens. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow often should a child in a village be checked for developmental delay?
A village child should be checked at the same routine moments as any child — at birth and around 9, 18, 24 and 30–36 months, plus yearly and at every immunisation visit. Distance must never mean fewer checks; bring any concern forward at once. A clinical AbilityScore® is formed only at a Pinnacle centre under clinician care.
Read the answer AnswerHow often should my child attend therapy?
There is no single right number — therapy frequency is matched to a child's goals, age, therapy type and response, with many children doing well on one to three sessions per week per therapy and easing down as skills grow. Daily practice at home matters as much as sessions, and a sustainable, consistent plan beats short bursts of intensity. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow often should my child be reassessed?
Most children in active therapy benefit from a structured reassessment about every 3 months — close enough to catch real change, spaced enough for new skills to settle. Earlier reviews suit a new plan, major transitions or a sudden plateau or leap. Reassessment is always clinician-led at a Pinnacle centre.
Read the answer AnswerHow often should my child have therapy?
Therapy frequency is individual — most children benefit from one to three sessions a week per area, but the right number depends on goals, age, therapy type and progress, with home practice mattering as much as session count. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow Often Will I Get Updates on My Child's Development?
Families receive regular updates on their child's development — a brief touchpoint after each session and a formal progress review roughly every 8–12 weeks where goals are revisited, with the exact rhythm set with you at the start. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow often will my child have therapy?
Most children start with one to three therapy sessions per week per domain, usually 45 to 60 minutes each, with the exact frequency set after assessment, agreed with you, and reviewed regularly as your child progresses. What you do at home between sessions matters just as much.
Read the answer AnswerHow Soon Can My Child Start After Assessment?
For most families, therapy begins within days of assessment — often the same week. After your clinician shares the findings and agrees a plan with you, the first session is scheduled at the earliest slot that suits your family, with no routine waiting list.
Read the answer AnswerHow soon does therapy start after my child's assessment?
Therapy usually begins within a few days of your child's assessment — often the same week. Once the clinician completes the structured AbilityScore® assessment and shares your child's profile and plan, sessions are scheduled promptly across our 70+ centres, with home strategies starting straight away. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow will I know if my child is doing well in an inclusive classroom?
A child is doing well in an inclusive classroom when they participate, connect with peers, grow in independence and feel they belong — measured against their own goals, not the class average — with honest teacher updates and a working support plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerHow will I know if my child is making progress?
You will know your child is progressing when you see small, repeated everyday gains — new words, less help needed, calmer transitions, more connection — compared to their own earlier self. At Pinnacle, a clinician-administered structured assessment re-measured over time turns these wins into a clear, trustworthy trend.
Read the answer AnswerHow will I know if my child's therapy is working?
You'll know therapy is working through steady, measurable progress towards agreed goals — new skills appearing, skills generalising to home and school, growing independence and confidence, and regular team reviews that adjust the plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerParent burnout: what you can do when you feel exhausted
Parent burnout is common and not a failure. It eases when you refill small amounts of rest, support and connection — lower the bar, protect sleep and meals, share the load, and stay connected. If you feel persistently hopeless or have thoughts of self-harm, speak to a doctor promptly. A rested, supported parent is the strongest ingredient in a child's progress.
Read the answer AnswerParental Guilt: Is My Child's Diagnosis My Fault?
A child's diagnosis is not the parent's fault. Neurodevelopmental conditions arise from genetics and brain development, not parenting choices. Guilt is a common grief response, not evidence of blame — and naming it frees a parent to give the steady support their child needs. Pinnacle supports the whole family.
Read the answer AnswerCoping with guilt about my child's difficulties
Parental guilt about a child's difficulties is normal and almost never justified — developmental differences are not a parent's fault. Coping means naming the feeling, sharing it, protecting your own wellbeing, and redirecting that love into practical support. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerFeeling overwhelmed by your child's needs — where to start
If you feel overwhelmed by your child's needs, start with one step rather than everything at once: note your biggest worry, focus on the area affecting daily life most, and book a single clinician-led developmental check that turns scattered worries into one clear plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerI've just realised my child needs help — where do I start?
If you've just realised your child may need help, start by noting what you've observed — including strengths — and arrange a clinician-administered structured developmental assessment. You don't need a diagnosis or referral first; the first visit gives clarity and a plan, not a label. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerI worry my child will be left out or bullied — how do I protect them?
Children are best protected from being left out or bullied by building strong social-communication skills, a warm and open relationship at home, a connected partnership with school, and genuine friendships — not by vigilance alone. Where friendships, social cues or self-regulation feel consistently hard, targeted support helps a child belong more easily. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerIf one child has ADHD, can my next child have it too?
ADHD does run in families, so a younger sibling has a somewhat higher chance of also having it — but higher chance is not certainty, and many siblings never develop it. With a younger child the right stance is gentle watch-and-monitor, as ADHD is reliably recognised from around school age. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerCan attachment difficulties pass from one child to the next?
Attachment difficulties are not a genetic condition and are not passed from one child to the next — they describe a relationship built through early experience and responsive caregiving, so each child forms their own bond. Shared family circumstances can carry across, but these respond well to warm support. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Read the answer AnswerCan My Next Child Also Have Auditory Processing Difficulties?
Auditory processing difficulties run in families only modestly, not as a simple inherited certainty, so a sibling may share them but very often does not. Each child's hearing, ear health and language develop independently, and reliable auditory processing assessment is usually only meaningful from around age 7. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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