Developmental Paediatrics
Assessment and therapy for speech, autism, movement and learning. Early questions deserve expert answers — not labels or blame. If your child is not talking, moving or playing the way you expected, our developmental team assesses them, tells you what is happening and sets out what will help. Children who start support early usually gain the most from it.
What Parents Tell Us
You know your child. If something feels different, that is reason enough to ask.
"He Is Two and Has Only a Few Words"
Or does not put two words together, or you are the only one who understands them.
"She Does Not Answer to Her Name"
Rarely points to show you things, prefers to play alone, lines toys up, or gets very upset by small changes.
"He Is Not Walking Yet"
Not sitting by nine months, not walking by 18 months, walking on tiptoes, stiff or floppy limbs, or using one hand much more than the other.
"The School Says She Is Behind"
Struggling to read, to sit still, to follow instructions or to make friends.
"He Was Born Early"
We follow up premature babies and babies who were very ill at birth as routine, even when all seems well.
"She Has Stopped Doing Things She Used to Do"
Losing words or skills at any age needs to be seen soon, not watched.
What Happens: The Assessment
The team assesses development by watching your child play, not with a single test. Doctors and therapists each look at a different part of the picture, then put it together.
- Your story first. A doctor from the developmental clinic asks about pregnancy, birth, early months, the languages spoken at home, sleep, eating, and what worries you. Bring videos of your child at home: they show what a clinic visit can miss.
- The team checks or arranges hearing and vision tests. A child who cannot hear well cannot learn to talk well. A hearing test is part of almost every speech assessment.
- Play-based assessment. The doctor, and often a speech and language therapist or physiotherapist, play with your child and watch how they communicate, move, solve problems and relate to people.
- Tests only if they help. Some children need blood tests, a brain wave test (EEG), a scan or a genetic test. Most do not.
- An honest explanation. What the team found, what it means, and what they are not yet sure about. If the team makes a diagnosis such as autism, the doctor explains it in plain words, with time for your questions.
- A written plan. Which therapies, how often, what to do at home, what to share with school, and when the team sees you again.
What We Offer
Developmental Medicine
Our developmental clinics see children with delay in one or more areas, learning difficulties, attention and behaviour concerns, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other conditions that affect development. We monitor growth and development for babies who were premature or very ill at birth. The developmental clinic coordinates the team around your child, so you are not repeating the history at every door.
Autism Assessment and Support
Autism affects how a child communicates, relates to people and experiences the world. Signs can often be seen by 18 to 24 months: little pointing, not responding to name, limited eye contact or shared play, repeated movements or strong reactions to sounds or textures. Nothing a parent did causes autism, and vaccines do not cause it.
An assessment brings together what you see at home, what the school or carer sees, and what the team observes. If your child is autistic, support focuses on communication, daily routines and what your child finds hard, built on what they are good at. If the team is not sure yet, they say so, start support straight away, and review.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapists work with children who are late to talk, hard to understand, stammer, have a hoarse voice, or find it hard to understand language or use it socially. Therapy for young children is play, and much of it happens at home: the therapist shows you how to turn everyday moments like bathing, eating and market trips into talking practice.
More than one language at home is not a cause of delay. Children can learn Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Pidgin and English together. Speak the language you know best and are most comfortable in; rich talk in one language supports the others. A child who is delayed is delayed in all their languages, and therapy can include the home language.
Paediatric Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists help children who are late to sit, crawl or walk, have stiff or floppy muscles, walk on their toes, are recovering from an injury, operation or long illness, or have conditions such as cerebral palsy or clubfoot. Sessions are active and playful, with exercises that fit into your day and advice on seating, positioning and equipment.
Working with Schools and Carers
With your permission, the team writes to your child's school or nursery explaining what your child needs and what helps, and shares simple strategies with teachers, nannies and grandparents. Your child makes most progress when home, school and carers use the same approach. You decide what is shared and with whom.
Getting Ready for the Assessment
- Short videos of the things that worry you, and of your child at their best.
- The child health card, birth and NICU records if your baby was in one, and any hearing test results.
- School or nursery reports, or a note from the teacher.
- A snack, a drink, and a favourite toy.
- Both parents, or the main carer. The more people who know your child well, the fuller the picture.
Tell your child they are going to play with some new people. See what to bring.
Start Here
What to expect at each age, and what you can do at home while you wait for an appointment.
Milestone Checker: What Most Children Do by Each Age
From 2 months to 5 years: what most children do by each age, and when "not yet" is worth asking about.
Interactive tool GuideTalking and Understanding: Speech and Language from 1 to 4 Years
What to expect at 12, 18, 24 and 36 months and 4 years, when to ask for a check, and how to build language every day.
15 min read GuideAutism: Early Signs, Assessment and Support for Your Child
A respectful guide to autism: early signs, what does not cause it, getting assessed, support that helps and "cures" to avoid.
15 min readQuestions Parents Ask
Relatives say boys talk late and I should wait. Should I?
Some children do catch up, but nobody can tell which ones by waiting. An assessment does no harm, and if help is needed, starting early makes the most of the years when the brain is learning language fastest.
Do I need a referral?
No, you can book yourself. A letter from your child's doctor or school is welcome but not needed.
I am afraid my child will be labelled.
A diagnosis is a way to get the right help and to explain your child's needs to others. It does not describe who your child is or limit what they can become. You decide who is told.
Is screen time the cause?
A lot of screen time takes away time for talking and play, and cutting it down helps every child. But screens do not cause autism, and a child with a real delay needs more than less screen time.
Can I stay in the therapy sessions?
Yes, for young children. Being there is part of the therapy: you learn what to practise at home.
Does my HMO cover therapy?
Cover for assessments and therapy sessions differs between plans. Ask the care team to check before you start. See paying and HMOs.
Worried About How Your Child Is Developing? You Do Not Need to Wait and See.
If your child is seriously unwell, do not book and do not wait for a message reply. Come to Limi Children's Hospital now, day or night, or go to the nearest emergency department if you cannot get here quickly. Have someone else drive if you can, so you can watch your child, and call 0813 408 5400 on the way so the team can prepare. See the signs that mean go now.