Developmental screening

Developmental screening is a brief assessment used to identify children who may need further evaluation of developmental progress. It flags possible concerns but does not diagnose a developmental disorder.

Developmental milestones: Commonly observed skills that children acquire across age ranges in areas such as movement, communication, and social interaction. Milestone questions help screeners identify skills that may be emerging later than expected.
Early intervention: Services that support infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Identifying concerns early can open access to services during a period of rapid development.
Developmental diagnosis: The clinical determination that a child meets criteria for a developmental disorder or delay. Screening estimates risk; diagnosis requires a more complete clinical evaluation.
Developmental delay: A significant lag in one or more areas of a child's development compared with age-based expectations. Developmental delay is one of the concerns screening is designed to detect.
Ages and Stages Questionnaires: A set of age-specific parent-completed questionnaires that screen young children across several developmental domains. These questionnaires show how caregiver reports can be structured into a screening tool.
Well-child visit: A routine preventive health appointment for monitoring a child's growth, development, and health. Many developmental screens are administered during routine preventive visits.
Diagnostic test: A test used to establish whether a disease or condition is present in an individual. Unlike screening, diagnostic testing addresses whether a suspected condition is actually present.
Autism spectrum disorder: A neurodevelopmental condition involving differences in social communication and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. Autism-specific screening can prompt evaluation, but a screening result does not establish this diagnosis.
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers: A parent-report screening questionnaire designed to identify toddlers who may warrant evaluation for autism. It illustrates screening focused on one developmental condition rather than broad developmental progress.
Speech-language pathology: The evaluation and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders by trained professionals. Communication concerns flagged by screening may lead to a speech-language evaluation.

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