Assessment Library
Assessment Library Vision, Hearing & Checkups Well-Child Checkups Growth And Development Screening

Growth and Development Screening for Kids

Learn what happens during child growth and development screening, what pediatricians look for at well visits, and when developmental screening may be recommended. Answer a few questions to get personalized guidance for your child’s age, milestones, and next steps.

Start with your reason for looking into screening

Whether this is part of a routine well-child growth screening or you have concerns about milestones, height, weight, hearing, vision, or behavior, this short assessment can help you understand what screening may cover and what to discuss at your child’s checkup.

What best describes why you’re looking into growth and development screening right now?
Takes about 2 minutes Personalized summary Private

What is growth and development screening?

Growth and development screening is a routine part of pediatric care that helps identify whether a child is growing and developing as expected for their age. At a well visit, a pediatrician may review height, weight, head growth in younger children, feeding, sleep, movement, language, learning, social interaction, and behavior. Developmental screening at a pediatric checkup often includes parent questionnaires and observation, along with a review of milestones and any concerns from caregivers or teachers.

What pediatricians usually look at during screening

Growth patterns

Your child’s height, weight, and growth trend over time help show whether physical growth is staying on track. Pediatricians look for patterns, not just one number.

Developmental milestones

Screening may include questions about speech, motor skills, play, learning, and social-emotional development to see how your child is progressing for their age.

Everyday functioning

Feeding, sleep, behavior, attention, and how your child manages daily routines can all be part of child development screening at a well visit.

When developmental screening is done for children

At routine well-child visits

Many children receive growth and development screening as part of regular checkups, especially in infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool years.

When a concern comes up

A pediatrician may recommend screening if there are questions about speech, movement, behavior, learning, growth, or social development.

After input from caregivers or teachers

If a parent, caregiver, daycare provider, or teacher notices something different, screening can help organize those concerns and guide next steps.

Why parent questionnaires matter

A growth and development screening questionnaire gives pediatricians a clearer picture of how your child is doing across settings and over time. Parents often notice details that may not be obvious during a short office visit. Sharing concerns early does not mean something is wrong—it helps your child’s care team decide whether reassurance, monitoring, or further evaluation would be most helpful.

How this assessment can help

Clarify your main concern

Whether you are focused on milestones, growth, or a recommendation from your pediatrician, the assessment helps narrow what kind of screening information is most relevant.

Prepare for the checkup

You can get personalized guidance on topics to bring up at your child’s well visit, including milestone questions, growth concerns, and follow-up planning.

Understand possible next steps

Depending on your child’s age and situation, next steps may include routine monitoring, a repeat screening, or a conversation about referrals and support services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is growth and development screening for kids?

It is a structured review of a child’s physical growth and developmental progress. During screening, pediatric providers look at growth measurements, milestones, behavior, communication, movement, and other age-related skills to see whether development appears on track.

Is developmental screening done at every pediatric checkup?

Not every visit includes the same level of screening, but developmental screening at pediatric checkups is common during routine well-child care. Some ages have more formal screening recommendations, and additional screening may be done whenever concerns are raised.

What if I’m worried about growth, height, or weight rather than milestones?

That still fits within child growth and development screening. Pediatricians review growth trends over time and consider nutrition, family patterns, medical history, and overall health when deciding whether anything needs closer follow-up.

What happens if a screening shows a possible concern?

A screening does not diagnose a condition by itself. It helps identify whether more discussion, monitoring, or a more detailed evaluation may be useful. Your pediatrician can explain what the results mean and what next steps, if any, are appropriate.

Are parent concerns enough reason to ask for screening?

Yes. If you are wondering whether your child’s growth or development is on track, it is appropriate to bring that up. Parent observations are an important part of pediatric growth and development milestones screening.

Get personalized guidance for growth and development screening

Answer a few questions to better understand what screening may involve, when it is typically done, and what to discuss with your child’s pediatrician at the next well visit.

Answer a Few Questions

Browse More

More in Well-Child Checkups

Explore more assessments in this topic group.

More in Vision, Hearing & Checkups

See related assessments across this category.

Browse the full library

Find more parenting assessments by category and topic.

Related Assessments

Anemia Screening Tests

Well-Child Checkups

Autism Screening Visits

Well-Child Checkups

Blood Pressure Checks

Well-Child Checkups