Developmental Screenings

What is a developmental screening?
CARE for Children provides developmental screenings at the McKean County Family Centers several times per year and per request at health fairs and other events. Developmental screenings are used to identify children who should receive more intensive assessment or diagnosis for potential developmental delays. It can allow for earlier detection of delays and improve child health and well-being for identified children.

Why is developmental screening important?
Many children with behavioral or developmental disabilities are missing vital opportunities for early detection and intervention. Many children with developmental delays are not being identified early.

In the United States, 17% of children have a developmental or behavioral disability.
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. (Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) please visit their site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/devtool.htm for more information.)

Is your child having difficulty sitting up? Walking? Talking? Visit CARE's Early Intervention page for information on how to get help.

Developmental Milestones for Children Birth to Three

By the end of 6 months, a child should:

Enjoy games such as Peekaboo
Reach out and swat at toys
Suck well from a bottle
Turn head in response to name, sound or moving objects
Hold a rattle for several seconds
Try to stand while supported
Push up with arms while on belly
Bring hands together
Kick legs while lying down

By the end of 9 months, a child should:

Clap hands
Use simple gestures (wave bye-bye)
Roll over
Sit independently
Laugh, squeal, vocalize, babble
Take baby food from a spoon
Hold own bottle
Play 2-3 minutes with a single toy
Transfer object from hand to hand

By the end of 12 months, a child should:

Imitate actions such as clap when you clap
Cruise along surfaces
Say "da-da," "ma-ma," "no"
Pull self to stand, and stand without support for 3 seconds
Crawl
Eat chopped table foods
Feed self with fingers
Consistently respond to his/her name
Place a few blocks into a container

By the end of 18 months, a child should:

Look at an object when you point at it
Bring spoon to mouth (with some spilling)
Use 10-15 words spontaneously
Crawl up stairs, and walk down holding rail and your hand
Respond to "no," "give me," and "come here"
Stack 2 blocks
Imitate a scribble with crayon
Walk independently
Use pretend play (phone, feed doll)

By the age of 2, a child should:

Drink only from a cup
Say 4-5 words to communicate wants
Identify body parts (head, arm, leg, hand)
Point to favorite objects
Run and jump
Imitate two-word phrases
Use own name to refer to self
Attempt to sing songs with words

By 30 months old, a child should:

Become interested in other children
Sleep through the night with one nap per day
Use 2-4 word phrases
Zip/unzip large zippers
Play with toys for their intended use
Follow one-step commands: "give me," "show me," "get the"
Walk up steps with support
Match shapes
Play along side other kids

By the age of 3 years, a child should:

Undress/dress self with some help
Use toilet with some assistance, have daytime control
Use a fork well
Kick and catch a ball
Use 3-5 word sentences
Build tower of 8-10 blocks
Draws simple lines and colors shapes
Climb stairs up/down alternating feet

If you have questions about your infant or toddlers development, please contact our office or the county Early Intervention Office. Please visit our Early Intervention page for more information.