What is a developmental review?
The same as your child’s 7-12 month review, in Lewisham every child between 2-2 1/2 is invited in via their parent or carer for a developmental review. This is not a test but a developmental review to see how your child’s overall development is progressing, and if required how health visitors can support you and your toddler. To aid the developmental review, an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3™) and ASQ social and emotional questionnaire will be completed with yourself and the health professional. We will also weigh and measure your child, so please remember your childs red book!
Between the ages of 2 and 5, children should gradually move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family for further information on healthy eating see our family health page.
Why are there two questionnaires to complete?
As with the 7-12 month review, the ASQ-3™ focuses on your child’s development in 5 main areas: communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving and personal-social skills.
The ASQ:SE-2™, again is a parent answered questionnaire, however it reviews your child’s social and emotional development. Accurately identifying behavior through ASQ:SE-2™ paves the way for next steps, further assessment, specialised intervention or ongoing monitoring, to help your child reach their fullest potential during their most formative early years.
What happens if my child scores low on the ASQ-3™ or ASQ-SE-2™?
Every child develops at a different rate and as a health visiting service we can support you to help your child reach their full potential and enjoy learning and development through play. However, if it is thought a more thorough assessment of either ASQ-3™ or ASQ:SE-2™ is required the health visitor assistant practitioner or health visitor can refer to the most appropriate team for specialist support to help your child reach their fullest potential with the best placed support during their most formative early years.
Is your child eligible for a free nursery place?
Lewisham Family Information Service (FIS) provide free advice to Lewisham families with children for:
- Childcare and free early education
- Children/ family Centres
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Health
- Schools and Learning
- Support for parents and carers
- Young people activities and clubs
Managing your child’s behaviour – Top tips from our Health Visitor Assistant Practitioner’s
It is normal for toddlers to challenge boundaries, sharing and turn taking is a difficult concept for them. Toddlers don’t like the word ‘no’. Triggers for your baby maybe: sickness, new baby, tiredness, hungry, moving home or a family crisis.
What can you do to help?
- Stay calm.
- Ignore the behaviour if possible, unless damaging objects or hurting someone.
- Distract e.g. point to something fun, play with toys.
- Walk away (depriving of audience).
- All parents and carers need to be consistent in their approach to boundaries
- Tell them what you want or don’t want e.g. please stop in a calm and clear voice
- Manage trigger situations e.g. long journeys by bringing toys and books
- Balanced approach; praise and encourage as appropriate, tell them they are wonderful.
- No mixed messages; such as smiling when telling off.
- Time out, a minute for each year, the parent needs to control this.
- Adopt opposite approach to the toddler, stay quiet and in control / low voice.
- Speak to them at their level; get down to their eye level to speak to them.
