Find out when children should undergo a developmental screening.
From the moment your child is born, our Hobart, IN, pediatrician Dr. Marc Connery will provide them with everything they need to safeguard them against certain disorders and diseases. Our job is also to detect problems early, including developmental delays and behavioral issues. Here’s what you should know about developmental screenings in children.
What Is a Developmental Screening?
As your child continues to grow, we will monitor everything from their speech and behavior to how they learn, play and move. Monitoring your child throughout their young life can help us catch problems early on. Developmental monitoring is constantly occurring during these well-child visits with our Hobart, IN, team; however, if we notice that your child has missed a stage or milestone, then we may recommend a developmental screening, which takes a closer look at certain areas of concern.
Do All Children Undergo Developmental Screenings?
Even if your child isn’t showing any behaviors or habits of concern, the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends that all children undergo a developmental and behavioral screening with their pediatrician at nine months, 18 months and 30 months. Our Hobart, IN, team will also screen children for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 18 months and 24 months, regardless of whether they are showing signs of ASD or not. Certain risk factors such as preterm birth or low birth weight can increase a child’s risk for developmental delays, and we may recommend additional screenings for an at-risk child.
What Goes Into a Developmental Screening?
There is no one test to diagnose or detect a developmental delay or ASD in children, so a screening alone is not enough to diagnose; however, a screening tool can identify areas of concern requiring a more in-depth evaluation and analysis. We will not only observe your child’s behaviors, but we may provide questionnaires for family members, teachers and caregivers to fill out regarding a child's behaviors. These evaluations and a behavioral assessment and observation period will help us determine whether your child may have a developmental or behavioral disorder.
Do you have questions about developmental screenings or want to schedule one with our Hobart, IN, pediatric team? Call Brickyard Pediatrics at (219) 940-9605 today.