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Child Development Services · Refer Your Patient
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Development delay in children < 6 years.
Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Definite history of developmental regression - Significant developmental delay in an infant less than 1 year - Children in out of home care supervised by the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women (CSYW) where there is imminent threat of breakdown of current foster placement due to the complexity of the child's developmental concern
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Child with evidence of severe delay in one or more developmental domains - Developmental screening provides significant detailed history that is strongly suggestive of a significant or severe underlying developmental disorder - Developmental delay with related medical co morbidities - Abnormalities in neurological examination - Marked low tone or high tone - Muscle weakness / floppy child - Differences between right and left sides of body in strength, movement or tone - Microcephaly or increasing head circumference - Child excluded from childcare or school due to developmental concern - A child: - at risk of entering the child protection system (0 – 18 years of age) - currently in out of home care (OOHC) (0 – 18 years of age), or - where they have previously been on a waiting list for this problem and were removed without receiving a service
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Child presenting with mild to moderate developmental delays that are impacting on their day to day functioning or participation - Child with developmental concerns, linked into external services, requiring ongoing specialist Paediatrician management
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Provide sufficient information of screening of the developmental concern. Greater detailed information will allow more accurate categorisation. This may be any of the following: - a developmental screening tool - a community child health nurse or health worker developmental Assessment - an allied health Assessment - sufficiently detailed developmental milestone history - Include specific developmental attainments by domains: - Motor, - Cognitive / Learning, - Self-Care, - Social-emotional, - Language / Speech See CHQ Red Flag Early Identification Guide and report any developmental Red Flags child is not meeting [https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/PDF/red-flags.pdf] - Report presence or abscence of concerning features - Is there definite history of developmental regression, and if so what specific loss of skills has been noted? - Are there any associated abnormalities on neurological or physical examination? - Is the child expected to be in out of home care supervised by the Department of Children Safety, Seniors and Disability Services for more than 6 months? - Is there any risk of child's current placement breaking down? - Is the child unable to attend childcare / school, or at risk of expulsions or repeated suspensions to due behaviour or developmental concern - Is child engaging in physical aggression or other behaviours that place themselves or others at risk - Confirmation of Out Of Home Care (where appropriate) NB: see information in 'useful management information'
The following conditions are out of scope for this service: - Children who require developmental monitoring/surveillance (in the absence of developmental delay) should be referred to GP or Child Health Nurse. - Educational assessment of school age children - Services that should be initially provided by primary care or community based allied health care for children, including well infant care and advice, parenting and behaviour management for young children, developmental services for children with mild developmental delay - Health screening assessments including on entry to foster care - Acute paediatric concerns - Developmental Allied Health intervention services will not be provided for Children who are eligible for Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) / National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) For children who are non-Australian citizens but still meet clinical criteria for an underlying disability as defined by ECEI/NDIS, CDS Gold Coast is unable to provide long term allied health intervention services. - Allied health developmental intervention services are not provided for children who are school-age (prep to year 12)
Parent service: Child Development Services
Sign in for localised assessment and management. HealthPathways does not send the referral. Register: gchealthpathways@health.qld.gov.au