What is developmental screening?

What is developmental screening?

Doctors and nurses use developmental screening to tell if children are learning basic skills when they should, or if they might have problems. Your child’s doctor may ask you questions or talk and play with your child during an exam. This shows how the child learns, speaks, behaves and moves.

The nurse or doctor may also ask you questions or give you a questionnaire to fill out. Developmental screening is a tool to find out if your child is on track or needs extra evaluations or treatments. There is no lab or blood test to tell if your child may have a general delay in their development. There are tests for specific syndromes and disorders that cause developmental delays and your provider will tell you whether any of those are needed.

Because there is a wide range of growth and behavior for each age, it is natural for children to reach a milestone earlier or later than a general trend. Your child’s doctor will look at the big picture and let you know if anything else is needed.