Pune: Walnut Child Development Clinics, a Pune-headquartered network of child development centres, is encouraging parents to prioritise “early checks” instead of adopting a prolonged “wait and watch” approach when they observe recurring developmental concerns in children.
Operating across Pune, PCMC and Baramati, the clinics highlight that subtle challenges in early childhood can intensify over time as academic, social and daily life demands increase, making early screening and assessment crucial.
Founded in 2019, Walnut Child Development Clinics emphasises that timely developmental screening helps families understand whether a child is within the range of typical development, requires monitoring, or would benefit from structured intervention.
Early assessments offer clarity, reduce uncertainty for parents, and enable informed decision-making at the right stage.
Also Read: Winter Care for Infants: Pediatrician’s Guide to Keeping Babies Safe in Cold Weather
Walnut Child Development Clinics outlines signs that may need early checks
Walnut Child Development Clinics recommends a basic developmental check-up when parents notice repeated signs such as delayed speech, unclear articulation, limited eye contact, difficulty following instructions, frequent emotional meltdowns, or a consistently short attention span.
Additional indicators may include clumsiness, sensory sensitivities to sound, touch or textures, feeding difficulties, delays in play skills, challenges with pre-academic readiness, or struggles in adapting to structured routines.
According to the clinics, early identification can help reduce frustration for children, provide reassurance and direction to caregivers, and support the creation of practical strategies for home and school environments.
Walnut Child Development Clinics offers multidisciplinary, coordinated care through a team of certified Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Special Educators and Behavioural Therapists working collaboratively under one roof.
The clinics provide early screening and assessments, speech therapy, fluency and voice therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, behavioural therapy, remedial education, paediatric physiotherapy, parent counselling, and group therapy and support sessions.
The centres commonly support children with autism spectrum conditions, ADHD, speech delays, learning disabilities, sensory processing concerns and overall developmental delays, ensuring integrated and consistent therapy goals across disciplines.
Also Read: High-Risk IVF Pregnancy at 48 Successfully Managed at Wockhardt Hospitals Mumbai Central
“Parents often tell us they hoped their child would simply ‘grow out of it’,” said Dr Chanchal Agrawal, Founder and Clinical Director, Walnut Child Development Clinics.
“Sometimes that does happen, but when it doesn’t, the child may begin internalising difficulty much earlier than we realise. Early screening is not about labels; it is about understanding what is typical, what needs observation, and what skills we can start strengthening early.”
The founding team at Walnut Child Development Clinics added that the organisation was built on the principle of simplifying access to care for families.
By bringing multiple specialists together, the clinics aim to provide parents with a clearer developmental roadmap while ensuring children receive consistent, goal-aligned support that translates beyond the clinic into daily life and classrooms.
Walnut’s programmes focus on functional and measurable outcomes, including communication, attention, play, self-care, handwriting readiness, motor planning, emotional regulation and classroom participation.
Therapy plans are personalised, reviewed at regular intervals and designed to be parent-friendly, enabling families to confidently reinforce strategies at home while aligning with schools when required.
Having supported over 5,000 families, Walnut Child Development Clinics currently operates centres in Kharadi, Fatima Nagar, Tingre Nagar, PCMC and Baramati. The clinics offer in-clinic evaluations, structured therapy programmes and parent guidance sessions.
