What is a developmental screening?

A developmental screen provides a snapshot of how your child is growing and learning. Screening allows you to monitor how your child is developing overall and catch concerns early. See the table below for more information and to start a developmental screening!

Developmental Screening Program

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Are you interested in tracking your child’s development?  It’s easy when you enroll in the developmental screening program! The Developmental Screening Program helps families track their child’s development in 5 key areas through their 5th birthday: Communication, Big Body Movements (Gross Motor), Small Body Movements (Fine Motor), Problem Solving, and Personal-Social. 

Follow these EASY STEPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD GROW:

  1. Complete a free developmental screening questionnaire online (Yuba County Residents Only): English & Spanish.  
  2. No internet access? Contact Help Me Grow Yuba County at 1-800-794-4067 to request assistance with filling out the screening over the phone.
  3. After you have completed your screening, a member of the Help Me Grow team will contact you with your child’s results by telephone. The Help Me Grow Care Coordinators will discuss how well your child is developing and answer any questions you might have. If your child is found to need special support, our team will connect you with agencies and resources that can help.

Reasons to track your child's development

  • Completing a developmental screen allows you to catch possible developmental delays early.
  •  Evidence-based developmental screening tools, such as the one found on this website, have been proven to be more reliable at catching delays than completing a developmental milestones checklist.
  • Research shows that identifying delays and getting children into supportive services early has long-term positive effects for children's readiness to learn and school performance.
  • Developmental screening is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics at least at the ages of 9 months, 18 months and 24 or 30 months.
  • Doing the developmental screening activities with your child can be a fun and positive bonding experience!

Tips to help you complete the screening

  • The screening will ask you to answer each question  as Yes, Sometimes, or Not Yet. A "Yes" answer means your child does this regularly. "Sometimes" means you have seen your child do the activity a few times but it hasn't become a regular thing yet. "Not Yet" refers to activities you haven't seen your child complete yet.
  • Fill out as many questions you already know the answers to first.
  • Work with your child to complete the activities you don't know the answers to. Make sure your child is fed and well-rested before trying any new activities!
  • Ask other family members and friends to help you answer the questions. Doing the developmental screening can be a fun activity for everyone, especially older siblings.
  • Be patient and enjoy this time with your child!