There is a child in many Ghanaian homes today whose development raises questions.
This could be the child who is not yet speaking when other children of the same age are using several words or the child who does not respond to his or her name.
Another may struggle to interact with other children, follow instructions, sit still long enough to learn or read and write.
Yet, instead of seeking help, the family may be told: “Give the child some time.”
“He will catch up.” “It runs in the family.”
Some parents may even be told that they experienced similar delays in childhood but “turned out fine”.
Sometimes, families are advised to wait until the child starts school.
This “wait and see” attitude can have serious consequences for some children.
Many parents simply do not know what to expect at different stages of development.
They may not know when a child is expected to respond to sounds, babble, use words, point, engage in pretend play or follow simple instructions.
This is because many have never been taught.
Developmental milestones should, therefore, become part of routine health education for parents.
Antenatal and postnatal care, child welfare visits, crèches, schools, churches and community programmes all provide opportunities to learn.
There is another reason some families delay seeking help: fear of a diagnosis.
A diagnosis of autism, developmental delay or another neurodevelopmental condition can carry stigma.
Some parents fear that their child will be treated differently, rejected by a school, bullied by other children or viewed primarily through a diagnosis rather than as a whole person.
Others worry about what relatives, friends, teachers or members of their community will say.
As a result, some families may avoid seeking professional help early. Unfortunately, avoiding assessment does not make a child’s difficulties disappear.
It may simply delay the opportunity to understand those difficulties and provide appropriate support.
Children should not have to wait for a diagnosis before receiving support.
Early detection is not about labelling children. It is about noticing when a child may need additional help.
A child may have difficulties with speech and language, learning, attention, social communication, movement, hearing, vision or behaviour.
These difficulties deserve attention whether or not a formal diagnosis has been established.
A strengths-and-needs profile can help parents, teachers and health professionals identify what a child can do, where difficulties lie and what support can begin immediately.
Once a need is identified, appropriate intervention can begin while the assessment process continues.
In Ghana, access to specialists remains limited, particularly outside major urban centres.
For families in rural communities and underserved districts, obtaining a formal assessment may involve travelling considerable distances, spending money they may not have and educators should be equipped to recognise developmental milestones and red flags.
Children with concerns can then be referred appropriately, while supportive interventions begin where possible.
Technology, including carefully designed artificial intelligence tools, may also assist with developmental screening, parent education, monitoring and personalised learning. But AI must complement, not replace, trained professionals and human relationships.
What we need
What we need now is a culture of informed observation and timely action.
When a child is struggling, we should ask: What is the child finding difficult?
What are the child’s strengths?
What support can we provide now?
And who needs to assess the child further?
Let us educate parents, train frontline workers, strengthen referral systems, bring developmental services closer to communities and address stigma.
Most importantly, a child should not have to wait for a label before schools, families and communities respond to a need.
Every child has strengths, potential, dreams and a right to thrive.
The writer is a Child development expert/Fellow of the Zero-To-Three Academy, USA.
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