| Q: How do I know if I should be worried about my child’s development? A: You can see how your child’s abilities compare with those of their peers by looking at charts like this. Bear in mind that these are indicators only and a full assessment is required to establish if your child has a developmental disability. Q: What other supports and strategies are there for my child? A: Follow the link that best describes the difficulty you want to support your child with on this page for more information about supports and strategies. Q: I’ve received a phone call confirming an appointment with the Child Development Service. What happens from here? A: Your first appointment with the Child Development Service will be with at least two different health professionals who are chosen based on the information provided in the referral. Don’t worry – if a different type of health professional from the Child Development Service is needed further on, they can join the team later. The purpose of the initial meeting is to get as much general information about your child as possible. In some instances, one of the professionals may do a more specific assessment with your child in the meantime. If they feel this would be useful, they will discuss this with you during the meeting. All of the assessments are activity oriented (there will be no needles!). | 