CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics Update Developmental Milestones

URL: https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/19554/CDC-AAP-update-developmental-milestones-for

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the AAP have revised developmental milestones in the Learn the Signs. Act Early. program, which helps parents identify autism and developmental delays in their children.

The revised developmental milestones are written in family-friendly language and identify the behaviors that 75% or more of children can be expected to exhibit at a certain age based on data, developmental resources and clinician experience.

“The earlier a child is identified with a developmental delay the better, as treatment as well as learning interventions can begin,” Dr. Paul Lipkin, a member of the AAP who assisted with the revisions, said in a press release. “At the same time, we don’t want to cause unnecessary confusion for families or professionals. Revising the guidelines with expertise and data from clinicians in the field accomplishes these goals. Review of a child’s development with these milestones also opens up a continuous dialogue between a parent and the health care provider about their child’s present and future development.”

The process behind the revised milestones is detailed in an article titled “Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools” published in Pediatrics Tuesday. For a complete description of the changes read the entire article here.

Explore the Learn the Signs Act Early menu of tools and training associated with the Milestones, including the free downloadable poster, Milestones Matter, shown as part of this article.