Child development

Children develop more rapidly during the first five years of their lives than at any other time. The health visiting service will support you to help your child reach his or her full potential.

The key areas of development are physical, communication and language, and personal, social and emotional.

 

Developmental reviews

In Lewisham, the Trust’s health visitors will invite you and your child for a review at key stages during their development. The review will be held in one of the developmental clinics across the borough. The aim of the review is to see how your child is developing and to discuss any support you may need. (Developmental reviews are slightly different for Greenwich residents.)

If any issues are identified during the reviews, you will be referred for further assessment, intervention or monitoring.

However, you don’t have to wait until a scheduled developmental review to raise concerns about your child’s development – you can attend one of the health visitor-led child health clinics or speak to your GP.

7–11-month developmental review Before this review you will be sent an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3™), which focuses on your child’s development in communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving and personal-social. Please fill this in so that you can discuss your answers during the appointment. If you are struggling to complete the questionnaire, don’t worry – the health visitor or nursery nurse conducting the review can complete this with you.

Two–year developmental review Before this review you will be sent the same Ages and Stages Questionnaire as before, and another one that focuses on your child’s social and emotional development.