Delhi: For many Indian parents, concerns about a child's development can initially be met with familiar explanations: “He’ll talk when he’s ready,” “Boys are late talkers,” or “She’s just naughty.” But when families do seek professional support, what are they actually seeking help for? An analysis of data from around 4,000 children across 25 Sunshine by LISSUN's centres over one year offers a snapshot of the concerns bringing families into child-development care. While speech and communication remain the most common starting point, a significant number of families are also seeking help for sensory and motor concerns, suggesting that parents are looking beyond behaviour when they recognise that a child may need support.

50.4% of children entering therapy at Sunshine are under five, which is a strong indicator of the evolutionary journey of parents understanding challenges in children as early as 5 years of age.   Communication is part of the initial concern for 47.4% of families, with 31.7% first booking Speech and Language Therapy and a further 15.7% entering with combined communication and motor needs. Sensory and motor concerns also account for a significant share of initial therapy bookings. 35.4% of families come in with a motor or sensory component, including concerns such as difficulty with handwriting, balance, or sensitivity to sound and touch. Behavioural concerns, meanwhile, account for only 12% of initial therapy bookings. This suggests that the concerns bringing families into therapy extend beyond behaviour, with communication, movement and sensory responses often being the first concerns for which families seek support.

Commenting on the report, Krishna Veer Singh, Co-founder & CEO, Sunshine by LISSUN said, “Parents in India are no longer waiting for their child to ‘grow out of it.’ 50% of the children who come to us today are under five. Mothers and fathers are noticing the signs, trusting their instinct, and acting early. Our job is to make sure that when a parent takes that step, the right help is close to home,”

The report also shows that families often need more than one form of support. The data reflects that child-development care can evolve as a child's needs become clearer. 56.1% of families continue beyond their first therapy package. Among families who return, 60% continue with the same therapy, while 40% add or switch to another therapy based on the child's needs. This means that a family may initially seek help for one concern, such as speech, and later add another form of therapy as other needs emerge or existing goals are addressed.

From the report, it is evident that there is a significant shift in the mindset of people in acknowledging challenges and the probability of professional help, in case needed. The sheer acceptance of the fact that an assessment is not a label, is indicative of the evolutionary cycle of millennial parents. It is information, and early information gives a child the opportunity to overcome challenges and live their life like every other child.