If you’re noticing possible speech, motor, social, or learning delays, get clear next-step guidance based on your child’s age and your concerns. This page helps you understand when developmental delay screening may be appropriate and what to look for.
Answer a few questions about the skills you’re concerned about to get personalized guidance on developmental screening, early signs to watch, and when to talk with your child’s pediatrician or early intervention program.
Developmental delay screening is a structured way to check whether a child may need a closer look at how they are growing and learning. It does not provide a diagnosis on its own. Instead, it helps identify whether concerns about speech, motor skills, social interaction, or problem-solving should be discussed with a pediatrician or early intervention specialist. For parents searching how to screen for developmental delays, the most helpful approach is to compare your child’s current skills with expected milestones and consider whether delays are affecting daily life.
Looks at babbling, first words, following simple directions, combining words, and how your child communicates needs, wants, and feelings.
Includes both gross motor skills like sitting, walking, climbing, and running, and fine motor skills like grasping, stacking, pointing, and using utensils.
Covers eye contact, shared attention, pretend play, response to name, problem-solving, and how your child interacts with people and new situations.
Your toddler may not be using words, pointing, walking, or engaging socially in ways that are typical for their age range.
If a child stops using words, becomes less interactive, or no longer does something they previously could do, it is worth discussing promptly with a pediatrician.
Feeding, play, communication, movement, and transitions may feel harder than expected, or your child may seem frustrated because they cannot do what peers are doing.
Parents often wonder when to get developmental delay screening rather than waiting to see if a child catches up. In general, it is appropriate any time you have a persistent concern, even if others say to wait. Screening is especially important if your child was born early, has a medical history that may affect development, has a family history of developmental differences, or is missing multiple milestones. Early screening can help families access support sooner, and early intervention can make a meaningful difference.
Write down what your child does, what seems difficult, and when you first noticed it. Specific examples help make screening conversations more useful.
A checklist can help organize concerns by age and skill area so you can see whether the pattern is mainly speech, motor, social, or across more than one area.
Pediatric developmental delay screening is often done in primary care, and your doctor can guide you on monitoring, referral, or a more complete evaluation if needed.
Screening is an early check to see whether a child may need further evaluation. A diagnosis requires a more detailed review by qualified professionals. Screening helps identify whether next steps are needed.
Yes. Developmental screening for speech and motor delays often looks at multiple areas together because delays can happen in one area or across several areas at once.
Ask whenever you have an ongoing concern about milestones, communication, movement, social interaction, or learning. You do not need to wait for a routine visit if something feels off.
Bring notes about your child’s milestones, examples of current concerns, any daycare or preschool feedback, and questions about what you are seeing at home. This helps the provider understand the full picture.
Yes. Mild concerns can still be worth discussing, especially if they persist over time or involve more than one area of development. Early guidance can help you decide whether monitoring or referral makes sense.
Answer a few questions about your child’s speech, motor, social, or learning concerns to see what signs may matter most, when to seek screening, and what next steps may be helpful.
Answer a Few QuestionsExplore more assessments in this topic group.
See related assessments across this category.
Find more parenting assessments by category and topic.
Early Intervention
Early Intervention
Early Intervention
Early Intervention