Your child’s teacher has suggested a closer look. What happens next?
A referral is not a diagnosis. It means a closer look, early, while support makes the biggest difference.
Two routes, and you can use both
Public route
Subsidised for citizens and PRs
- See a polyclinic, GP or paediatrician. Bring the health booklet and the teacher’s notes.
- Referral to a hospital child development service at KKH or NUH.
- Developmental assessment. The first appointment can take several months.
- Support programme, if needed: EIPIC, or support inside the preschool (DS/LS, InSP).
For milder needs, your preschool may be able to start DS/LS support without the hospital step. Ask the centre.
Private route
Paid by the family. PediaBloom accepts Child LifeSG Credits and CDC Vouchers.
- Contact a therapy clinic directly. No referral letter needed.
- Short call or screening to work out which area matters: speech, motor, learning or feeding.
- Therapist-led assessment, usually within 1–2 weeks, with a written summary.
- Weekly therapy, if needed, with home strategies and feedback to the preschool.
Before the first appointment
Public or private, the first visit follows a similar shape. Knowing it in advance takes most of the worry out of the day.
What a first assessment looks like
- About 60 minutes. Mostly play, games and simple tasks. Your child should not feel tested.
- You’ll be asked questions too: milestones, daily routines, sleep, eating, and what you notice at home. There are no wrong answers.
- Some of it may happen without you in the room. That’s normal. It lets the therapist see how your child manages on their own.
- You should leave with a clear picture: what’s going well, what needs support, and what happens next.
- A written summary follows, usually within a few weeks. Ask for it in plain language, and ask what the preschool can do with it.
What to bring
- Your child’s health booklet
- The teacher’s observations, in writing if possible
- Any earlier reports or letters
- A few recent drawings or writing samples
- A snack, a drink and a familiar comfort item
- Your own list of questions and worries
Book a time when your child is usually rested and fed. A tired child on the day tells the therapist very little.
Questions to ask any provider
- Are your therapists registered with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC)?
- What will a session look like, and how often do you recommend coming?
- How will you measure progress, and how will I know it’s working?
- What can we do at home between sessions?
- How will you work with my child’s preschool teachers?
- When would you expect therapy to end?
A good provider, public or private, welcomes every one of these.
How to tell the preschool
Share the report, or the main findings, with your child’s teachers. Most of your child’s week happens in the classroom, so the strategies that matter most are the ones teachers can use there. Ask the therapist for two or three things the class can do, and ask the teacher what they are seeing week to week. The children who do best are the ones where home, school and therapist are working on the same few things.
General information for parents, not medical advice. Public programme eligibility and subsidies change; check current criteria with your doctor or ECDA. Preschools and paediatricians are welcome to print and share the PDF version with families.
Not sure which route fits your child? Ask us first.
We'll tell you honestly which route fits, including if it's the public one.