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2.21.2024

Learn the Signs – Act Early

As a parent, you already have what it takes to help your young child learn and grow. Understanding key developmental milestones will help you look for signs of delays or potential concerns to discuss with your healthcare provider, early childhood program, or other early childhood partner. If concerns arise, you may be advised to have a developmental screening completed with a trained early childhood professional. 

Developmental milestones are skills and behaviors that babies and young children experience at certain ages as they grow. Parents, grandparents, early childhood providers and other caregivers can participate in developmental monitoring to observe how your child grows and changes over time and to determine whether your child meets the typical developmental milestones for their age.

You can review the developmental milestones on the First 5 Nevada website or you can download the CDC’s Checklist. Both resources offer a list of key milestones based on the age of your child, issues to discuss with your child’s healthcare provider, and tips for helping your child grow and learn.

The CDC has also developed a free Milestone Tracker App that is available on iOS and Android devices. 

Developmental screening takes a closer look at how your child is developing.
Your child will get a brief test, or you will complete a questionnaire about your child. The tools used for developmental and behavioral screening are formal questionnaires or checklists based on research that ask questions about a child’s development, including language, movement, thinking, behavior, and emotions. 

Developmental screening can be done by a doctor or nurse, but also by other professionals in healthcare, early childhood education, community, or school settings. Developmental screening is more formal than developmental monitoring and is normally done less often than developmental monitoring. 

Your child should be screened if you or your doctor have a concern. However, developmental screening is a regular part of some of the well-child visits for all children even if there is not a known concern.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, talk to your child’s healthcare provider or early childhood provider right away. The sooner you act, the sooner you and your child can receive the resources and support they need to grow and thrive!

Resources:

• Developmental Milestones 
  
  
• Nevada Early Intervention Services (ages 0-3)
  The Nevada Early Intervention Services (NEIS) System provides services to children birth until age three with developmental delay or disabilities and their families. If you are concerned about your child’s development, the first step is to have your child referred for evaluation, which looks at his or her basic skills. This evaluation is free of charge. You can refer your child directly or you can have your child’s physician or another professional make the referral for you. You will be assigned a service coordinator who will help you through the process.
• NEIS South – (702) 486-9200
• NEIS Northwest – (775) 688-1341
• NEIS Northeast – (775) 753-1214
  
  
• Child Find (ages 3 to 5)
  Child Find is a compassionate and proactive program designed to support children in the state of Nevada who may have developmental delays or special health care needs. It aims to ensure that every child receives the best start in their educational journey. By focusing on early identification and referral, Child Find helps children be prepared for school. Whether your child has chronic illness, a disabling condition, or developmental delays, this program is here to assist. Child Find embraces all families, offering guidance and resources to ensure that every child’s unique needs are met and supported. Contact your local school district at the number below to learn more about the Child Find program in your community.
• Carson City County – (775) 283-2360
• Churchill County – (775) 423-5187
• Clark County – (702) 799-7463
• Douglas County – (775) 433-0020
• Elko County – (775)753-8646
• Esmeralda County – (775) 572-3215
• Eureka County – (775) 237-5700
• Humboldt County – (775) 623-8128
• Lander County – (775) 635-2349
• Lincoln County- (775) 726-3772
• Lyon County – (775) 463-6800 ext. 129
• Mineral County – (775) 945-2403
• Nye County – (775) 751-4015
• Pershing County – (775) 273-5099
• Storey County – (775) 847-0983
• Washoe County – (775) 333-5035
• White Pine County – (775) 289-4851 ext. 107
  
  
• NV Pyramid Model Home Visiting Program 
  The Children’s Cabinet Pyramid Model team supports families with young children (under age 6) who are experiencing persistent challenging behavior by offering free consultation and home visiting. Our family specialist will partner with you to complete a social-emotional screening tool, and create individualized targeted behavior goals to support your child in succeeding at home and at school.

All content in this article was adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Learn the Signs, Act Early Program.