Development
Autism, ADHD and early signs
Some features can be recognised in the second year, assessment routes vary, and early support does not require a diagnosis.
Development
Milestones, movement, speech and what the ranges really mean.
Development
Behaviour in the second year
Tantrums and defiance are neurological rather than moral, and the responses that work follow from understanding why.
Development
Temperament, and why babies differ
Some of the variation between babies is constitutional, and recognising it changes how parents interpret their own competence.
Development
Reading, singing and books before one
Shared reading in infancy has some of the strongest evidence of any activity, and it does not require sitting still.
Development
Screens, and the guidance for the youngest children
The recommendations for under-twos are more specific than for older children, and the mechanism is displacement.
Development
Nursery, childminders and choosing childcare
Quality is measurable and is mostly about staff, and the research on outcomes is more reassuring than the guilt suggests.
Development
Separation anxiety, and what it means
It appears at a predictable age, is a sign of healthy cognitive development, and makes life considerably harder for a while.
Development
Crawling, cruising and walking
The route to walking varies more than the charts suggest, and several common worries turn out not to be worries.
Development
Play, and what babies actually need
The developmental value is in the interaction and the exploration rather than in the toy, which is fortunate.
Development
Talking, babbling and first words
Language development begins long before the first word, and what adults do with it has a measurable effect.
Development
Tummy time, rolling and flat heads
The back-to-sleep advice saved many lives and produced a predictable side effect with a straightforward answer.
Development
Milestones, and what the ranges really mean
Development is a range rather than a schedule, and the useful information is about the limits rather than the averages.