All parents want the best for their children and for them to succeed in all aspects of their lives. So, what can you do if you think your child is not reaching their potential in terms of their development?
There are a few things you can do to help figure out if your child has a developmental delay:
- If your child attends a daycare, talk to the daycare teacher(s) to see if they have any concerns with regard to your child. These teachers can be excellent sources of knowledge about child development.
- Talk to your family doctor about your concerns, and if they agree have them make a referral to a Pediatrician, a doctor who specializes in children and adolescents.
- Access your local Family Resource Centre. Across Nova Scotia, there are many community Family Resource Centres which may have offer both information for you and programs for your child.
- If you are worried that your child may not be speaking or understanding words at their age level, you can contact Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres to make a referral for your child.
- If your child has been diagnosed as having a developmental delay, there are a number of early intervention programs across Nova Scotia. The support of these individuals can be invaluable to you and your child.
The earlier that a delay is identified, the earlier that services can be put in place to assist your child to reach their developmental potential.