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Pathways Awareness Foundation is committed to getting medical professionals the tools they need to screen children for early motor delays.

Early screening and diagnosis of early motor delays is vital so a child can be given the best chance to develop to his or her fullest potential. It is vital to begin screening at the earliest time possible.

From the Center on Disease Control:

Developmental screening can be done by a number of professionals in health care, community, and school settings. Two reasons primary health care providers are in a unique position to promote children’s developmental health are:

Primary care providers have regular contact with children before they reach school age. In 2002, 86% of insured children and 71% of uninsured children younger than 6 years of age had a well-child visit with a health professional in the past year. Such visits allow developmental and other health problems to be identified and treated early in a child’s life. Whether a problem is medical or behavioral, or both, finding it early and treating it can greatly improve the child’s chances of reaching his or her full potential for physical, mental, and social health and well-being.

Primary care providers are able to provide family-centered, comprehensive, coordinated care, including a more complete medical assessment when a screening indicates a child is at risk for a developmental problem. The provider may further assess the child for a diagnosable developmental condition(s) (for example, a language disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, mental retardation), and for potential coexisting neurologic, metabolic, or genetic disorders that might require specific treatments or interventions of their own. In some cases, the primary care provider might choose to refer the child and family to a specialist for further assessment and diagnosis, such as to a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, a child neurologist, a geneticist, or an early intervention program that provides assessment services.

Screening tools are designed to help identify children who might have developmental delays. Screening tools can be specific to a disorder (for example, autism), an area (for example, cognitive development, language, or gross motor skills), or they may be general, encompassing multiple areas of concern but many are missing vital opportunities for early detection and intervention.

In the United States, 17% of children have a developmental or behavioral disability such as autism, mental retardation, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; in addition, many children have delays in language or other areas, which also impact school readiness. However, less than 50% of these children are identified as having a problem before starting school, by which time significant delays may have already occurred and opportunities for treatment have been missed.

Recent surveys indicate that parents want information and guidance from their health care provider about their child’s development, but studies sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics show that 65% of pediatricians feel inadequately trained in assessing children’s developmental status.

Although developmental screening is widely recommended, there are currently no national data tracking the state of this practice and how it is integrated into primary care.

Developmental screening—a brief assessment designed to identify children who should receive more intensive diagnosis or assessment—can improve child health and well-being, especially for children with autism and other developmental disabilities or delays.

Research has demonstrated that early detection of developmental disabilities and appropriate intervention can significantly improve functioning and reduce the need for lifelong interventions. For example, children with autism identified early and enrolled in early intervention programs show significant improvements in their language, cognitive, social, and motor skills, as well as in their future educational placement.

If you are a health care professional interested in obtaining more information on diagnosing early motor delays, call 1-800-955-2445. To order materials, click here.