Developmental delay test
All health professionals who see infants and children for well-child visits should watch for early signs of developmental disorders. Developmental test tools can help assess behavior.
A child should immediately be evaluated if a health professional discovers obvious signs of developmental delays, such as:1
- No babbling, pointing, or other gestures by 12 months.
- Saying no single words by 16 months.
- Saying no two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months, with the exception of repeating phrases (echolalia).
- Any loss of language or social skills at any age.
If there are no obvious signs of developmental delays or any unusual indications from the screening tests, most infants or children do not need further evaluation until the next well-child visit.
However, a child who has a sibling with autism should continue to be closely monitored. In addition to the evaluations at well-child visits, these children should undergo testing for language delays, learning problems, poor socialization skills, and any symptoms that might suggest they have anxiety or depressive problems.1
When socialization, learning, or behavior problems develop in a person at any time or at any age, he or she should be evaluated.
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: May 25, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics | |
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