from diverse backgrounds do not always get their developmental needs identified early. Opening Doors is reaching out to different health centers and working on improving routine care by using improved developmental screening tools.
Developmental screening helps primary care providers identify children’s developmental delays. Using a screener, the provider will ask a parent questions such as "Do you have any concerns about how your child talks or makes speech sounds?" Research tells us there is a significant need for screening. Only 20-30% of children with disabilities (e.g. language delays, learning problems, and emotional and behavioral challenges) are diagnosed before starting school. Browse articles on developmental screening.
Screening all children during check ups is recommended as a way to promote child health and development. However, most health centers do not use screening tools–fewer than 10% of pediatric practices use screeners to identify children with developmental concerns and only 23% use any kind of screening at all.
This is often true in community health centers caring mainly for low-income families. Providers at health centers already have hectic schedules filled with many patients whose needs are complex.
To learn how to implement the screening process, visit the Developmental Screening Toolkit.
Screening is important because services can help the development of children once their delays are identifies. These services including Early Intervention (EI) and Special Education are available through each community’s Departments of Public Health and Department of Education. Visit our Resources section for more information.
Opening Doors is actively working on bringing accurate developmental screening tools to urban health centers. Several tools are available, which consider a child’s language, gross motor (crawling, walking), fine motor (grasping, holding utensils), social and behavioral development. By using valid screening tools, treaters provide better routine care.
Many providers may worry about the time and money needed to train their staff properly as well as the time it takes to use these tools during office visits. In addition, few screening tools have been tested in diverse populations. As a result, the idea of bringing a well-accepted screening tool into a busy, urban health center serving mainly immigrant and high-risk families may seem unrealistic to many providers. However, implementing screening is not only possible, it is necessary. We aim to ensure that all children receive needed services as early as possible, so all children have the best opportunities to thrive.
