Assessment Library

Developmental Screening for Toddlers and Young Children

If you’re wondering about speech, motor, social, or overall milestone progress, get clear next-step guidance based on your child’s age and concerns. Answer a few questions to explore whether child developmental screening may be helpful.

Start a developmental screening assessment

Tell us what you’re noticing so we can provide personalized guidance on screening for developmental delays, milestone concerns, and when to seek pediatric developmental screening.

What is the main reason you’re considering developmental screening right now?
Takes about 2 minutes Personalized summary Private

When developmental screening can help

Early developmental screening can be useful when a child seems to be missing milestones, communication is slower than expected, motor skills feel behind, or social and behavior patterns raise questions. It can also help when a pediatrician, teacher, or caregiver has suggested a closer look. Screening is not about labeling your child quickly—it’s a structured way to understand whether more observation, support, or follow-up may be appropriate.

Common reasons parents look for developmental milestone screening

Speech or language concerns

You may be noticing fewer words, difficulty following simple directions, limited gestures, or slower communication growth than expected for your child’s age.

Motor skill delays

Questions about crawling, walking, balance, hand use, coordination, or other physical milestones often lead families to seek screening for speech and motor delays.

Social, behavior, or autism-related concerns

Limited eye contact, reduced response to name, repetitive behaviors, or challenges with play and interaction can prompt autism and developmental screening conversations.

What developmental screening can tell you

Whether concerns match typical screening triggers

A screening can help identify whether the patterns you’re seeing are common reasons for follow-up with a pediatric provider or early intervention service.

Which developmental areas may need closer attention

It can highlight concerns related to language, motor development, learning, behavior, or social communication so you can focus on the right next step.

How soon to seek support

If you’re unsure when to get developmental screening, age, symptom pattern, and how long concerns have been present can help guide timing.

Why early attention matters

Parents are often the first to notice subtle changes or missed milestones. Acting early does not mean assuming the worst—it means gathering information while support can be most effective. Pediatric developmental screening is commonly used to decide whether reassurance, monitoring, or a more complete evaluation makes sense.

How to prepare for a screening conversation

Note specific examples

Write down the milestones, behaviors, or skills that concern you, including when you first noticed them and whether they are improving, staying the same, or becoming more noticeable.

Compare across settings

Think about what your child does at home, daycare, preschool, and with relatives. Patterns across settings can be helpful during child developmental screening.

Bring parent observations

A developmental screening questionnaire for parents often relies on your day-to-day observations, so your input is an important part of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is developmental screening?

Developmental screening is a structured way to check whether a child’s skills and behaviors are developing as expected in areas like language, motor skills, learning, and social interaction. It helps identify whether follow-up or added support may be useful.

When should I get developmental screening for my child?

You may want to consider screening when you notice missed milestones, delayed speech, motor concerns, social differences, behavior changes, or if a pediatrician or teacher has raised concerns. If something feels off, it is reasonable to ask about screening early.

Is developmental screening the same as an autism screening?

Not exactly. General developmental screening looks across multiple areas of development, while autism screening focuses more specifically on social communication and behavior patterns associated with autism. Some children may benefit from both.

Can a parent complete part of the screening process?

Yes. Parent observations are often a key part of early developmental screening. A developmental screening questionnaire for parents can help organize what you’re seeing and support a more informed conversation with your child’s provider.

What if my toddler is only a little behind?

Even mild concerns can be worth discussing, especially in toddlers when development changes quickly. Screening can help determine whether your child likely needs monitoring, reassurance, or a referral for more support.

Get personalized guidance for developmental concerns

Answer a few questions about milestones, speech, motor skills, and behavior to see whether developmental screening may be the right next step for your child.

Answer a Few Questions

Browse More

More in Developmental Delays

Explore more assessments in this topic group.

More in Special Needs & Disabilities

See related assessments across this category.

Browse the full library

Find more parenting assessments by category and topic.

Related Assessments

Adaptive Skills Delay

Developmental Delays

Cognitive Delays

Developmental Delays

Developmental Evaluation

Developmental Delays