What is it?
GPs use milestones to track your child’s development. Milestones are the skills and tasks children can do at different ages. For example, smiling at 6 weeks, or forming words around 12 months. Milestones are based on five domains: fine motor, gross motor, speech, social, and cognitive.
If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, there may be a cause for concern. Sometimes, missing milestones can be a sign of a developmental disorder.
It’s normal to feel worried for your child. Try to stay positive, and continue to support your child’s needs. There is plenty of help available. And, the good news is early treatment can make a huge difference.
What will my GP do now?
The next step is to work out what may be causing your child’s delay so you can arrange the most suitable treatment.
Your GP will:
- Look for any health conditions that could be adding to the problem
- Treat any existing issues, such as eczema or glue ear
- Check all your child’s injections are up to date
- Arrange hearing and eye tests
- Refer you to an allied health professional for early intervention
Allied Health Professionals
- Speech pathology for language and speech
- Physiotherapy for walking and balance
- Occupational therapy for physical and sensory concerns
- Psychology for cognitive, social, and behaviour concerns
If your child is not meeting more than one milestone, your GP may refer you to a paediatrician for assessment and treatment.
What will my GP do in the future?
You should see your GP regularly, even if you are also seeing an allied health professional or paediatrician. Your GP will want to track your child’s progress and keep up-to-date with how things are going. Talk to your GP about how often to make an appointment.
In the future, you may need to see a specialist if you haven’t already been referred to one. Your GP can advise you on this after seeing your child’s progress.
What can I do?
There may be not be a ‘quick x’ for your child. But, with the right support and early intervention, you can make a difference in your child’s growth.
Assessing delays takes time, but you can help this process by:
- Being aware of your child’s growth
- Tracking any changes
- Arranging health checks with your GP
- Arranging referrals
- Being there for your child, by offering plenty of emotional support and love
- Supporting yourself, and taking care of your health and wellbeing
As a parent, you can also self-refer to a health professional or paediatrician. But, if a referral is made through your GP, you can get a Medicare rebate. Speak to your GP about this.
