When your child might need a referral for Developmental Therapy
Cognition and Play:
- Not enjoying social play by 6 months
- Not able to find a hidden object by 9 months (pacifier hidden under a cup while child is watching)
- Not imitating body action on a doll by 15 months of age (kiss the baby, feed the baby)
- Not engaging in relational play by 12 months (putting a brush to a doll’s or parent’s head)
- Not able to sort two sets of objects by 27 months of age (blocks in one container and people in another)
- Not able to imitate a model from memory by 27 months (show me how you brush your teeth)
- Not able to match two sets of objects by color by 31 months of age
- Having difficulty problem solving during activities in comparison to his/her peers
- Unaware of changes in his/her environment and routine
- Displays no interest in age appropriate toys
- Shows little or no interest in exploring environment
- Engages in repetitive activities and/or play (opening and closing cupboard doors many times)
- Lack of imitation of peers or adults
- Repeatedly disrupts or destroys another child’s play activity
- Does not engage in imaginative thematic play by 36 months (plays house with imaginative and actual props through several steps)
- Does not play cooperatively with other children
- Avoids interacting with other children even when approached
- Tries to control play of others
- Impulsive: hits, bites, runs away
Social/Emotional/Play Skills
- Not smiling by 4 months
- Not making eye contact during activities and interacting with peers and/or adults
- Not performing for social attention by 12 months
- Not imitating actions and movements by the age of 24 months
- Not engaging in pretend play by the age of 24 months
- Not demonstrating appropriate play with an object (instead of trying to put objects into a container, the child leaves the objects in the container and keeps flicking them with his fingers)
- Fixating on objects that spin or turn (See ‘n Say, toy cars, etc.) or spinning objects not normally for spinning (bowl on floor)
- Having significant difficulty attending to tasks
- Getting overly upset with change or transitions from activity to activity
- Unaware of others
- Cannot calm down after a tantrum
- Excessively aggressive
- Shows no awareness when intruded upon
- No joint attention
- No eye contact
- Self-stimulates (flaps hands, spins, rocks)
- Disregard for limits or rules
- Unprovoked physical aggression
- Shows inappropriate affect with someone who is hurt
- Indiscriminately shows all adults affection or shies away from adults
- Hurts animals
- Unable to share or take turns
- Unable to join others in play