Understanding the signs for help; When to engage an Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist or Psychologist.

Often, developmental issues go unnoticed until children enter formal schooling, however, parents can definitely play an active and knowledgeable role in identifying, monitoring and supporting their child’s development.

 

Understanding what is ‘normal’ development is therefore a great way to enhance parent’s confidence in their ability to identify potential disorder or area of weakness and seek the help of a professional for a comprehensive assessment and intervention (if required!).

 

Child psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists are all skilled in supporting child learning and development. These professions work from frameworks built on developmental milestones to inform ‘typical’ child development. Whilst these time frames are generalised, they allow us to identify when children aren’t on track.

 

5 KEY AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

A simple way to highlight signs you may need to seek the help of a professional is looking at some developmental milestones across the following 5 key areas of development. There are plenty of detailed charts and timelines of child development available throughout the Internet, but here are some quick signs to look out for that may indicate your child needs further assessment:

 

1. Gross Motor Skills

This the development of large muscles, control of movement and is seen in your child’s ability to sit, crawl, stand, walk, run, and balance.

 

Signs that you should seek help from an Occupational Therapist include:

• Not reaching for, grasping or holding objects by 4 months
• Not crawling by 1 year
• Not walking by 2 years
• Difficulty balancing, hopping, skipping or catching a ball at 5-6 years
• Clumsiness & frequent tripping

 

2. Fine Motor Skills

The development of small muscles is seen in your child’s ability to eat, draw, play and write.

 

Signs that you should seek help from an Occupational Therapist include:

• Struggling to hold a thick crayon or eat with a utensil by age 2
• Use door handles by age 3-4
• Brush teeth by age 5
• Difficulty doing up buttons, zips or tying shoe laces by 7-8 years.

 

3. Cognitive Abilities

These are thinking skills, referring to attention, memory, perception, reasoning and decision-making.

 

Signs that you should seek help from a Psychologist include:

• Unable to follow simple instructions by age 2
• Unable to group toys by colour, type or do 3-4 piece puzzles by age 2
• If you notice that your school-aged child tends to get frustrated about reading, focusing, writing, math, organisation, listening comprehension.

 

4. Social & Emotional Skills

These skills refer to your child’s ability to interact with others, have relationships, cooperate with others and express their own/respond to others’ feelings.

 

In a child’s first five years they learn how to deal with different emotions, develop empathy, make friends, and follow ‘social’ rules.

 

Signs that you should seek help from a Psychologist include:

• Not smiling at people by 3 months
• Refusing to cuddle or shows no affection to parents/caregiver by 7 months
• Doesn’t point to or hold up objects to show people or have interest in interactive games (peek-a-boo) by 12 months
• Difficulty engaging with, or no interest in, playing with other kids by 4 years

 

5. Speech & Language Skills

This is your child’s ability to speak, understand what others say, use and understand body language and gestures, and communicate.

 

Signs that you should seek help from a Speech Therapist include:

• Your baby does not:
  • Seem to listen to you
  • Enjoy or respond to sounds
  • Is not using a range of words by 18 months
• Your toddler:
  • Is frustrated by not being able to speak or be understood by others
  • Does not engage in simple games
  • Does not understand gesture
  • Stutters
  • Isn’t trying to connect words together by 2.5 years
• Your 5 year old+
  • Cannot be understood by everyone
  • Cannot say most sounds
  • Has difficulty understanding vocal tones and facial expressions

 

Keep in mind you can always start by highlighting any concerns with your General Practitioner or Paediatrician.

 

It is important to remember all children develop at different rates, acquire skills at different times to their peers and some need additional time and support to master certain skills. However, being aware of developmental milestones and identifying delays can allow for early intervention to help your child to overcome or manage limitations and be healthy and happy.

 

About the Author

Danielle Copplin, Educational and Developmental Psychologist

Danielle is the director of Educational Toys Online. She is passionate about assessing, diagnosing and supporting young people with Autism, ADHD and Learning and Behavioural Difficulties and she is committed to sourcing the best toys and educational resources for learning and development in the home and school environments.