Developmental Assessments

A developmental assessment for children under five looks at how a young child is growing and functioning across several areas. These include thinking and learning, communication, behaviour, social interaction, movement, sensory processing and everyday self-care skills. Understanding the child’s family and home environment is also an important part of the picture.

Families in Abu Dhabi usually seek a developmental assessment when there is a concern that their child may have a developmental delay or difference.

When a child may be experiencing developmental difficulties, a developmental assessment is valuable because it can:

Highlight possible areas of concern and whether further diagnostic assessment is needed
Give a clear, objective profile of what the child can do and where they need support (a functional assessment)
Establish whether the child qualifies for support services, such as early intervention programmes
Guide the planning of the right therapies and support

At our TDCC centre in [area], Abu Dhabi, our psychologists and specialists carry out a developmental assessment covering every area of development, including:

Referral for a formal hearing test
Standardised assessment of:
- Cognitive skills
- Speech, language and communication
- Gross and fine motor skills
- Adaptive and self-care skills
- Social, emotional and behavioural development
- Sensory processing
Observation of the child during free and structured play, and of how parent and child interact
An in-depth conversation with parents about their concerns, their child’s early development and how the child is managing now
A review of the child’s health, nursery, school and other records, along with relevant family medical history