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Concerned About Your Child's Development? If you are concerned about your child's development and would like to discuss your concerns prior to your child's next well care appointment, please call our nurse advice line to determine if a special consultation may be recommended.
Child Development
Monitoring child development is an important aspect of well child care. The providers at Advanced Pediatrics recognize the importance of early detection/intervention in treating developmental delays and, consistent with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, include important developmental screening tools for all well care visits for children 2 months to 5 years old.
Advanced Pediatrics uses Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), a well researched screening tool to identify children who would benefit from a more comprehensive developmental evaluation. These developmental screening questionnaires are designed to help provide early detection of any developmental delays, which is very important in providing optimal intervention and treatment. You will be asked to complete an Ages and Stages Questionnaire for all well care visits between 2 months and 5 years. You will be given this questionnaire at the preceding well care visit to keep at home, complete and bring with you at the next visit. Please wait to complete the questionnaire until the week before your next visit and then bring with you to your visit. If you were not given a copy of the questionnaire or have lost your copy, we ask that you arrive 10 - 15 minutes early for your well care appointment so that you will have sufficient time to complete this important questionnaire. If you prefer, you may stop by our office in advance of your appointment and pick up a copy of the questionnaire to fill out at your convenience (prior to the date of your appointment). After you have carefully completed the questionnaire, the results will be scored and reviewed by your child's well care provider. Should the results of the screening indicate a potential developmental delay, we may refer your child to Early Childhood Connections (for children under 3 years) or Child Find (for children over 3 years) for additional evaluation and assistance.
The purpose of Early Childhood Connections and Child Find is to enhance the development of children who have developmental delays and to help families to meet their child's developmental needs. Services provided by these agencies are completely free of charge and include a multidisciplinary evaluation, services and support coordination, and the development of an "Individualized Family Service Plan" (IFSP) for children under 3 years of age or an "Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for children over three years of age.
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Developmental Milestones
Not all children develop on the same schedule, and premature infants are likely to develop somewhat behind full term babies. For general information about what to expect as your child grows, click on the appropriate link below:
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Advanced Pediatrics' Diagnostic Forms (ASQ & M-CHAT)
The "Ages & Stages" Developmental Screening Questionnaires will be given to you at the preceding well care visit for all well care visits between the ages of 2 months and 5 years. If you were not given a questionnaire or have lost yours, we ask that you arrive 10 - 15 minutes early for your well care appointment so that you will have sufficient time to complete this important questionnaire. If you prefer, you may stop by our office in advance of your appointment and pick up a copy of the questionnaire to fill out at your convenience (prior to the date of your appointment).
For all 18 and 24 month well care appointments, we also ask you to download, print and complete the "Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers" questionnaire below for more specific autism screening. This additional screening will be reviewed by your provider at your child's 18 and 24 month well care visits.
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Early Childhood Connections / Child Find
The numbers below are provided for your convenience IF one of our providers has referred your child to Early Childhood Connections or Child Find.
Early Childhood Connections/Early Intervention Colorado (Birth - 3 Years):
Statewide (outside Denver Metro area): 1-888-777-4041
At Developmental Pathways (Arapahoe/Douglas Counties): 303-858-2073
At North Metro Community Services (Adams County): 303-457-1011
At Denver Options (Denver County): 303-247-8423
Child Find (3 - 21 Years):
Outside Denver Metro Area: 303-866-6694
Arapahoe County
District 1 (Englewood) 303-781-7585
District 2 (Sheridan) 720-833-6636
District 5 (Cherry Creek) 720-554-4001
District 6 (Littleton) 303-347-6980
District 28 J (Aurora) 303-363-0484
Douglas County
Douglas RE-1 303-387-0804
Adams County
District 1 (Mapleton) 303-853-1130
District 12 (Northglenn) 720-972-6004
District 14 (Commerce City) 720-322-8126
District 27 (Brighton) 303-655-2945
District 50 (Westminster) 720-542-4520
Denver County
Denver Public Schools 720-423-8001
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Child Development Resources
Helpful Websites
Recommended Reading
The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones. American Academy of Pediatrics; Edited by Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, FAAP, 2007.
Caring for Your Baby & Young Child: Birth to Age 5. Steven Shelov (ed.), The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009.
Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12. Edward L. Schor (ed.). The American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999.
Caring for Your Teenager. Philip Bashe & Donald Greydanus (ed). The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003.
Ages and Stages: A Parent's Guide to Normal Childhood Development. Charles E. Schaefer and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, 2000.
Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence. Jane Healy, 2004.
Your Child: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Birth through Preadolescence. AACAP, David Pruitt, MD, 2000.
Your Adolescent: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Early Adolescence Through the Teen Years. AACAP, David Pruitt, MD, 2000.
Surviving Your Adolescents: How to Manage and Let Go of your 13 - 18 Year Olds. Thomas W. Phelan, 2012.
So Sexy, So Soon. Diane E. Levin, Ph.D. and Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D, 2009.
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Delayed Learning/Development
Advanced Pediatrics does regular developmental screening assessments at well care visits. If you are concerned that your child may have a developmental delay, please discuss this with one of our providers at your child's next well care visit, or call our Nurse Advice Line to determine whether a consultation appointment might be recommended. We recommend the following resources regarding developmental delays:
Helpful Websites
Recommended Reading
A Mind at a Time. Mel Levine.
The Kitchen Classroom: 32 Visual GFCF Recipes to Boost Developmental Skills. Gabrielle Daplan-Meyer.
The Guide to Good Health for Teens and Adults with Down Syndrome. Briane Chicoine and Dennis McGuire.
Managing My Money: Banking and Budgeting Basics. Natalie Hale.
The Down Syndrome Transition Handbook: Charting Your Child's Course to Adulthood. Jo Ann Simons, MSW. back to top
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of related brain-based disorders that affect a child's behavior, social, and communication skills and include:
- Autistic disorder
- Asperger syndrome
- Non-specified pervasive developmental disorder
Less than 1% of children are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Though ASDs are lifelong conditions with no known cure, children with ASD can progress developmentally and learn new skills. Some children may improve so much that they no longer meet the criteria for ASD, although milder symptoms may often persist. Advanced Pediatrics utilizes "Ages and Stages Developmental Screening Questionnaires" and "Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers" questionnaire at well care visits to ensure that children are identified and receive access to services as early as possible.
Important Note Regarding Autism: The providers at Advanced Pediatrics firmly believe in the safety of recommended childhood vaccinations and believe there is NO link between vaccinations and autism. For more information on vaccine safety, please visit information regarding vaccinations on our well care page.
Helpful Websites
Recommended Reading
Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. Paul A. Offit, MD.
Raising Resillient Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Helping Them Maximize Their Strengths, Cope with Adversity, and Develop a Social Mindset. Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein.
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