Developmental Screening is an important tool that has become second nature for care providers but wasn’t officially put in place until the early 2000s. These screenings are supposed to strengthen any notions of disabilities or delays that a parent, clinician, or childcare professional may notice in a child. These screenings allow earlier intervention with care, like physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc. to work as preventative measure for long term effects. There are many different screening tools that will measure different aspects of life like motor skills, mental health, behavior, even oral health.

Most developmental screening tools follow a basic questionnaire or survey template that give parents, care providers, or clinicians common scenarios that a child may be able to perform. For example, if we were looking at a screening tool that tests for motor development one of the questions may ask if the child is able to bring their hand to their mouth. The goal is for the task to be something that can be completed instinctually throughout development rather than prompted/overtly taught by a parent or physician.