{"h1":"Red zone for catching skills: what to do next","faq":[{"a":"No. A red zone is a flag that this one skill needs a closer look — it is not a diagnosis. It points you toward a clinician-led assessment to understand why catching is hard and to build a focused, playful plan.","q":"Does a red zone for catching mean my child has a problem?"},{"a":"Yes. Catching brings together visual tracking, timing and hand control, all of which are highly trainable. With graded, playful practice — starting with large, slow, soft objects at close range — most children make clear gains.","q":"Can catching skills actually improve with practice?"},{"a":"Paediatric occupational therapy or physiotherapy is most relevant, as it builds hand–eye coordination, visual tracking, motor timing and confidence. A clinician first identifies which piece needs strengthening, then tailors the plan.","q":"What kind of therapy helps with catching?"},{"a":"Sooner if catching difficulty comes with frequent clumsiness, trouble with other motor skills, signs of straining to see, loss of confidence in play, or if your child has lost a skill they previously had.","q":"When should I seek a check sooner?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Red zone for catching skills — what to do next","entity":{"key":"catching-skills","kind":"skill","name":"catching skills","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Motor","value":"motor"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Plan","value":"plan"},{"kind":"route","label":"Occupational-Therapy","value":"occupational-therapy"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Self Sufficiency","value":"self_sufficiency"}],"parent":{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a red zone for catching skills means"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-motor-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Motor Skills Red Zone — Your Next Step"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-ball-catching-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Ball catching is in the red zone — your next steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills","title":"How should a therapist prioritise a child in the red zone for catching skills?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-ball-catching-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a red zone for ball catching means"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Green zone for catching skills — what to do next"}],"summary":"A red zone for catching skills is a signpost to act, not a diagnosis — it flags that part of your child's hand–eye coordination, visual tracking or motor timing needs a closer look. The best next step is a clinician-led assessment to find why catching is hard and build a focused, playful plan; catching is a highly trainable skill. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*A red zone on one skill is not a verdict — it's a signpost pointing you to the right next step, and that step is wonderfully ordinary.*\n\n## In short\nA **red zone for catching skills** simply means this one part of your child's hand–eye coordination and motor timing needs a closer look — it is a flag to act, not a diagnosis. The most useful next step is a proper clinician-led assessment so you understand *why* catching is hard (it could be timing, vision tracking, hand control, confidence or simply less practice) and get a focused plan. Catching is a learnable, very trainable skill, and most children make clear gains with the right playful practice.\n\n## What the red zone is really telling you\nCatching pulls together several abilities at once: tracking a moving object with the eyes, judging its speed and path, positioning the hands at the right moment, and timing the close of the grip. A red zone usually means one or more of these pieces needs strengthening — it rarely points to a single cause on its own. Common, very workable reasons include:\n- **Visual tracking** — difficulty following a moving ball smoothly with the eyes.\n- **Timing and anticipation** — the hands close a beat too early or too late.\n- **Hand and arm control** — grip, bilateral coordination or postural stability still developing.\n- **Practice and confidence** — fewer opportunities, or hesitation after past misses.\n\nA paediatric occupational therapist or physiotherapist can tell these apart and build a precise plan. In the meantime, gentle daily play helps: start with a large, soft, slow-moving ball or a scarf or balloon (which floats and gives more time), catch at close range, and celebrate every attempt rather than only the successes.\n\n## When to seek a check sooner\nBook a developmental check promptly if catching difficulty comes alongside frequent tripping or clumsiness across many activities, trouble with other motor skills like running, jumping or holding a pencil, signs your child is straining to see, or if your child is avoiding play and losing confidence. Any loss of a skill your child previously had also warrants a prompt review.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app, a score colour or an online form. The [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) is a clinician-administered structured assessment that turns a red flag into a clear, personalised motor-skills plan, supported through our [occupational therapy](/occupational-therapy) for hand–eye coordination and motor timing. You can always [start here](/) to find your nearest centre across our 70+ centres in 4 states.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on motor-skill development milestones; American Occupational Therapy guidance on paediatric motor coordination; CDC developmental milestone resources on movement and coordination.\n\n**Next step —** Ready to turn this red zone into a clear plan? [Book a motor-skills assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/occupational-therapy).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"}],"meta_title":"Red Zone for Catching Skills: Next Steps","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Start big and slow: catch a soft, light ball, a balloon or a scarf at close range so your child has more time to track and time the catch — and cheer every attempt, not just the successful ones.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:52:00.350809+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-catching-skills","title":"At what age should a child develop catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"could-difficulty-with-catching-skills-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay","title":"Could difficulty catching be a sign of developmental delay?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-catching-skills","title":"Is It Normal That My Child Is Not Yet Showing Catching Skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-catching-skills","title":"What does it mean if my child is not yet showing catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-signs-suggest-my-child-may-need-support-with-catching-skills","title":"What signs suggest my child may need support with catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-do-children-usually-catching-skills","title":"When do children usually develop catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-what-should-i-do-if-a-child-in-my-care-is-not-yet-showing-catching-skills","title":"What to do if a child isn't showing catching skills yet","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"by-what-age-is-a-child-usually-expected-to-catching-skills-and-what-should-a-teacher-expect-in-class","title":"Catching Skills: Milestones for Teachers","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"during-a-home-visit-what-should-a-frontline-worker-observe-about-a-child-learning-to-catching-skills","title":"What to observe about a child's catching skills on a home visit","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"if-a-child-cannot-catching-skills-at-the-expected-age-when-should-a-frontline-health-worker-escalate","title":"Catching Skills Delay: When Should a Frontline Worker Escalate?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-difficulty-learning-to-catching-skills-a-clinical-red-flag-that-warrants-a-developmental-referral","title":"Is difficulty learning to catch a developmental red flag?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":11},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a red zone for catching skills means","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-ball-catching-what-does-that-mean","title":"What a red zone for ball catching means","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-catching-skills-what-does-that-mean","title":"Amber Zone for Catching Skills Explained","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-catching-skills-what-does-that-mean","title":"What 'green zone' for catching skills means","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-catching-skills","title":"How can a clinician assess and track a child's progress in catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":5},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-ball-catching-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Ball catching is in the red zone — your next steps","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-red-zone-for-catching-skills","title":"How should a therapist prioritise a child in the red zone for catching skills?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-motor-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Motor Skills Red Zone — Your Next Step","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Green zone for catching skills — what to do next","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-catching-skills","title":"How can a teacher support a child working on catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-catching-skills-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Amber Zone for Catching Skills — What To Do Next","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-catching-skills","title":"Therapy for Catching Skills in Children","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-catching-skills","title":"Therapy Techniques to Develop Catching Skills","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-catching-skills","title":"How can a teacher support a student still learning catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-catching-skills","title":"How should a therapist prioritise a child in the amber zone for catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-green-zone-for-catching-skills","title":"How should a therapist prioritise a child in the green zone for catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":11},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-catching-skills-at-home","title":"How can I help my child learn catching skills at home?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-one-everyday-therapy-activity-to-help-my-child-with-catching-skills","title":"What is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with catching skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-catching-skills-during-everyday-routines","title":"Helping Your Child Practise Catching Skills at Home","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":3}],"what_to_watch":"Watch for catching difficulty alongside frequent tripping or clumsiness, trouble with running, jumping or pencil control, signs of straining to see, avoidance of ball play or lost confidence — and any loss of a skill your child previously had, which needs a prompt review.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — movement and motor-skill development"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov","label":"CDC — developmental milestones for movement and coordination"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:52:00.350809+00:00","meta_description":"A red zone for catching skills is a flag to act, not a diagnosis. Learn the next steps, simple home play and when to book a clinician-led check.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}