Watching your child grow and learn is one of the most exciting parts of being a parent. Understanding what milestones they should be reaching and at what time can be a fun way to track your child’s progress and feel confident in knowing when to ask questions.
Read about the different milestones your child should reach based on their age here.
Track how your child is doing through both developmental monitoring (sometimes called developmental surveillance) and through developmental screening.
Developmental monitoring is the process of being aware of developmental milestones and observing your child over time to see if they reach age-appropriate milestones. Developmental monitoring is a great way to see your child grow as well as to be able to answer questions from your child’s health care provider about how they are doing, as well as a way to address your concerns if you think your child is not meeting an expected milestone. Always speak with your child’s health care provider if you have a concern about your child’s development.
Developmental screening is a standardized set of questions about different aspects of a child’s abilities, including language, movement, thinking, behavior and emotions. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends every child be screened at 9, 18 and 24-30 months or whenever a caregiver has a concern. Going through the process of a developmental screen can be both fun and educational for you and for your child. Many tools used to assess development are ones children already engage in or view as games. When done with a caregiver, it can give ideas for new activities to try with your child as well as help you understand the types of skills your child may be developing at each new stage of their life.
It is important to ensure your child receives screening so you as a caregiver can help encourage healthy development, and also to identify potential areas of concern early. Many potential delays, if caught early, can be monitored or addressed so children do not experience long-term effects.
Some medical and childcare providers offer screenings on a regular basis as a part of well-child checks or through their programmatic curriculum. If your child has not been screened, you can access screening for free through Help Me Grow Alaska.
There are many validated tools for developmental screening. Help Me Grow Alaska uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire® version 3 (ASQ 3®) both on paper and online. Click on the buttons on this page to access an online screening or call one of our Family Support Specialists to be mailed a paper copy.
Looking for more resources on developmental monitoring or screening? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information about developmental monitoring, screening, and evaluation as well as many tools to support parents in doing developmental monitoring at home: CDC Developmental Monitoring and Screening Page
Contact a Family Support Specialist Take The ASQ-3 Now for Free!
Amazing Book Video Highlight
Using the CDC Adapted Children’s books, Help Me Grow Alaska is thrilled to provide three delightful videos for use by families and providers to demonstrate the practice of reading to your child as a way to celebrate developmental milestones.
Each short video features an Alaskan family using one of the adapted CDC books to read to their child in their own home and begins and ends with a narrative from Dr. Randall Zernzach, a Developmental Pediatrician at Alaska Native Medical Center who specializes in child development. In these videos, parents and caregivers are encouraged by Dr. Zernzach to enjoy this time with their child, noticing and attending to their child’s behaviors, needs, and questions as a way to stimulate their development. His expertise and reassuring manner to the reader to follow their instincts and to do what comes naturally is a welcome gift to all who view and use these videos!
Many thanks to Dr. Zernzach, our Alaskan families, and C&L Creative for the creation of these videos. We encourage you to use them in your practice and share them with your families. The videos have been uploaded to Youtube and are publically accessible.
The adapted CDC books are available, free of charge, to organizations serving children from birth through age four. All books are required to be provided to families free of charge, and any organization receiving the books is prohibited from reselling or charging families.
Baby’s Busy Day – https://youtu.be/ImEPoQloS4o
Where is Bear? – https://youtu.be/wEGIJPvY0Fc
Amazing Me! – https://youtu.be/0nOfaHOSy78