As parents, seeing our children develop and grow is among our greatest joys. In fact, many parents may even make it a point to actively track and document their little one’s milestones – from their first step to their first word.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects up to 10% of the local population. It frequently manifests as difficulties with reading, spelling, or writing. Problems with language acquisition, phonological processing, working memory, sequencing and organisation, visual perception, and motor abilities are just a few of the potential issues that could arise from dyslexia.

We have all heard of saying that “everyone is on their own personal journey”. Just as we each have our own pace; children reach the various developmental stages at their own rates. Generally, it is common for kids to fall behind other children their age in reaching some developmental milestones as they will eventually catch up.

Picture this: your child is bored out of their mind and running around, while you have your laptop open with tons of unanswered work emails. Given how hectic life can get as we juggle multiple responsibilities, these days, it can sometimes be easier to hand your child a mobile phone or tablet to keep them occupied.

Does your child's reading or writing abilities fall below their grade level? Have you noticed that he or she tends to struggle with creating a mental picture or following directions?

For many parents, when their child begins exhibiting signs of difficulties concentrating, sitting still or maintaining eye contact, their minds go straight to thinking that their child has either autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In an increasingly digital era, it is no secret that children these days have easy access to screens -- now more than ever. However, as much as technology has brought about numerous benefits, such as bringing people closer together and making our work much easier, excessive screen time can have a negative impact on early childhood development.

Children utilise their senses to explore and attempt to make sense of the world around them from the moment they are born all the way through early childhood. In fact, research has found that people – both children and adults – retain the most information and learn best when their senses are engaged.