Red Flags indicators are intended for use as a Quick Reference Guide to assist parents and early years professionals in deciding whether to refer for additional advice, assessment and/or treatment. It is not a formal screening or diagnostic tool.

The information contained in the “Red Flags for Infant, Toddler and Preschool Children” document has been provided as an informational resource. This information cannot substitute for the advice and/or treatment of professionals trained to properly assess the development and progress of infants, toddlers and preschool children. The information might be helpful to determine when to seek out advice and/or treatment, but should not be used to diagnose or treat perceived developmental limitations and/or other health care needs.

One of the most difficult parts of recognizing a potential difficulty in a child’s development is sharing these concerns with the parents/careproviders. It is important to be sensitive when suggesting that there may be a reason to have further assessment done. You want parents/careproviders to feel capable and to be empowered to make decision. There is no way that always works best but there are some things to keep in mind when addressing concerns.

• Be sensitive to a parent/careprovider’s readiness for information. If you give too much information when people aren’t ready, they may feel overwhelmed or inadequate. You might start by probing how they feel their child is progressing. Some parents/caregivers have concerns but just have not yet expressed them. Having a parent use a tool such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire may help open the way for discussion. It may help to specify that the screening tool is something given to many parents to help them look at their child’s development more easily and to learn about new activities that encourage growth and development.

• Be sure to value the parent/’caregiver’s knowledge. The ultimate decision about what to do is theirs. Express what it is that you have to offer and what they have to offer as well. You may say something like: “I have hade training in child development but you know your child. You are the expert on your child”. When you try to be more of a resource than an “authority”, parent/careproviders feel less threatened. Having the parents/careproviders discover how their chid is doing and whether or not extra helop would be beneficial is best. You may want to offer information you have by asking parents/careproviders what they would like to know or what they feel they need to know.
• Have the family participate fully in the final decision about what to do next. The final decision is theirs. You provide only information, support and guidance.
• Give the family time to talk about how they feel – if they choose to. If you, have only a limited time to listen, make this clear to them and offer another appointment/time if needed.
• Be genuine and caring. You are raising concerns because you want their child to do the best that he/she can not because you want to point out ‘weaknesses or faults’. Approach the opportunity for extra help positively; “you can get extra help for your child so he/she will be as ready as he/she can be for school”.
• Your body language is important; parents may already be fearful of the information.
• Don’t entertain too many “what if” questions. A helpful response could be “Those are good question. The professionals who will assess your child will be able to answer them. This is a first step to indicate if an assessment is needed”.
• Finally, it is helpful to offer reasons why it is not appropriate to ‘wait and see’:
  • Early intervention can dramatically improve a child’s development and prevent additional concerns such as behaviour issues.
  • The wait and see approach may delay addressing a medical concern that has a specific treatment
  • Early intervention help parents understand child behaviour and health issues, and will increase confidence that everything possible is being done to ensure that the child reaches his/her full potential.