Developmental Screening in Early Childhood Systems

In March, 2009 Healthy Child Care America/Child Care and Health Partnership held a meeting to facilitate a discussion regarding developmental screening. This was an opportunity for several states to come together and share their successes as well as the barriers they have faced as they have tried to roll out statewide developmental screening initiatives. View this report for a summary of the day's events and next steps.

AAP National Center for Medical Home Implementation: Developmental/ Behavioral Screening

This Web page provides resources for both health care providers and families, including information on educational initiatives, policy statements, periodicals/articles, resources, early intervention, and promising practices.

AAP Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

This Web page provides materials for health care professionals to support improvement in developmental and behavioral screening, surveillance, and identification of disabilities. There are a number of screening and assessment tools available for different aspects of developmental, behavioral and emotional health. Learn more about how you can use various tools and examples of specific tools for different assessment needs.

AAP's Policy Statement for Developmental Surveillance & Screening

In 2006, the AAP released a policy statement on developmental surveillance and screening, including an algorithm to aid practices in implementation. Simultaneously, the AAP launched a nine-month pilot project, the Developmental Surveillance and Screening Policy Implementation Project, in which 17 diverse pediatric practices sought to implement the policy statement’s recommendations. The project assessed the degree to which a national sample of practices could implement recommendations for developmental screening and referrals, and identified factors contributing to the successes and shortcomings of these efforts.

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), in collaboration with a number of national partners, launched a public awareness campaign called “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”   The campaign aims to educate parents about childhood development, including early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders, and encourages developmental screening and intervention. Specific information for early childhood educators can be found here.

Presentation Handouts: Developmental Screening for Early Childhood Systems

This presentation, given at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 2010 annual conference. The presentation included information from the "Developmental Screening in Early Childhood Systems" report on how to overcome barriers to implementing developmental screening initiatives and how early education and child care settings can connect with a child’s
medical home.

Information on Medical Home

Every child deserves a medical home. The AAP describes the medical home as a model of delivering primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective. Over the past year, the AAP has been at the forefront of numerous initiatives to promote the adoption and spread of the patient-centered medical home.

Child Care Programs and Medical Home
Child care programs can play a key role in the medical home and in the lives of patients and their families. It is best for a child’s health and development when families, the medical home, and child care programs work together to make sure children are healthy and safe in out-of-home child care settings.

First Signs

This organization aims to educate parents, healthcare providers, early childhood educators, and other professionals to ensure the best developmental outcome for every child. Their goals are to improve screening and referral practices and to lower the age at which young children are identified with developmental delays and disorders.

The Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation (ASDF)

The goal of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation (ASDF) is to support children
with an autism spectrum disorder by providing education, information and
financial assistance to their families and relevant community service organizations.