Role #3: Refer for Comprehensive Assessment
Just as with all the other types of medical screenings (e.g. mammography, vision screening, colorectal cancer screening), developmental screening, too, is interpreted as normal, abnormal, or inconclusive (re-screen). If a child is not meeting expected developmental milestones, it is important that the child receive a more comprehensive formalized assessment to determine the severity of the delay or deficit (i.e., at what age level is this child functioning?) and whether deficits also exist in other developmental domains.
Comprehensive developmental assessment is available from a variety of sources, depending on the age of the child and on the community resources. If you become familiar with your community's resources, you can provide a family with a specific phone number to call or make a referral yourself.
More info: sources for developmental assessment
Where can parents get formal developmental assessments?
- ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) programs (for infants 0-3) and public school special education programs (for children over 3)
Link here to information about special education laws.
- Multidisciplinary Developmental Clinics
Who conducts formal assessments?
- Infant specialists (with a college-degree in child development or related field)
- Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists
- Developmental psychologists
- Developmental pediatricians
