Being different does not automatically mean something needs treatment. We prioritize skills and behaviors that meaningfully affect everyday life, or that could become significant barriers to safety, communication, independence, learning, relationships, or community participation as a child grows.
For one child, progress may mean communicating basic wants and needs. For another, it may mean completing a morning routine independently, participating successfully at school, tolerating changes, developing social skills, reducing dangerous behavior, or navigating the community more safely.
Treatment priorities should reflect the individual child and family, not an arbitrary definition of what a child is supposed to become.