Parental perspectives on atypical development I had my only child, Molly, two and a half years ago. I was therefore not an experienced mother and before Molly, I did not feel particularly inclined...

Parental perspectives on atypical development I had my only child, Molly, two and a half years ago. I was therefore not an experienced mother and before Molly, I did not feel particularly inclined towards babies or children. My knowledge about children was somewhat limited. Molly was born at full term with a normal delivery. However, she was a restless and difficult-to-soothe child. But, to me, that’s what children are like. It was not until I saw Molly with other children that I realised that something was not quite right. Children her age were speaking words clearly, not just babbling on occasion. They were sharing toys and playing with dolls, not casting them around the room or looking for a TV remote to chew on. I overheard another mother saying her child’s quite good at kicking a ball. Molly only learnt to walk a few months ago! When the nursery key-worker said that Molly was less able than the other children her age, that’s when I panicked. Molly’s now got a general developmental assessment appointment tomorrow with a paediatrician. How could I have been so unaware of her difficulties?