Understand your child’s development through milestones, expert insights and practical advice covering cognitive, emotional, social and physical growth.
Australian GPs are providing more support as teenagers face waits of nearly two months for psychologists and about four months for psychiatrists, with researchers warning that delays can deepen distress and drive young people away from care. Long waits for…
The share of 17-year-olds receiving an NHS mental health diagnosis has risen, but researchers estimate fewer than one in 15 young people with a disorder were diagnosed through services over the study period. New research from King’s College London suggests…
A government-commissioned review warns that ADHD and autism are being both missed and overdiagnosed, urging schools and services to provide needs-based support while people await high-quality assessments. A major UK government-commissioned review has warned that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and…
Avoiding presentations, friendships and everyday conversations may signal more than ordinary shyness. Early support and gradual exposure can help teenagers break the cycle of fear and withdrawal. Many parents first notice something is wrong when a teenager begins dodging class…
Children with autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions face a sharply higher risk of bullying, while a Madrid trial suggests prevention programmes may work best when introduced in primary school. Children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention deficit…
Teething can begin before six months, but parents should avoid frozen teethers, amber jewellery and unsafe foods while seeking medical advice for fever or other symptoms not usually linked to teething. Teething usually begins around six months of age, although…
A study of 522 Hungarian adolescents found that most children with functional abdominal pain also reported pain elsewhere, with school pressure, bullying and poor quality of life among associated warning signs. Many parents take comfort when repeated stomach pain in…
Experts say families should teach budgeting, laundry, timekeeping and self-advocacy well before autistic teenagers leave home for college. Parents preparing autistic teenagers for college often focus on grades, entrance requirements and campus visits, but the harder lessons tend to be…
National survey data show steep falls in life satisfaction and self-rated health among migrant girls, alongside rising sadness, hopelessness and stress-related complaints. A new Canadian study suggests migrant girls are among the young people most at risk of worsening mental…
A child psychologist shares practical ways to reduce conflict, from giving one instruction at a time to using visual routines, immediate rewards and movement breaks. Parenting a child with ADHD can feel like a cycle of reminders, delays and frustration,…
A first national benchmark based on 2024 survey data finds substantial anxiety symptoms among US teenagers, alongside high levels of depression, suicidal thoughts and unmet treatment needs. A new analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that anxiety symptoms are common…
Growing up involves uncertainty, experimentation and difficult emotions. Adults can help teenagers develop confidence not by demanding constant happiness, but by listening, offering guidance and making room for the full range of adolescent experience. Adolescence has always been a difficult…
