Better Together: Developmental Screening and Monitoring Best Identify Children who Need Early Intervention

April 19, 2018

Children at risk of developmental disabilities or delays who receive both monitoring and screening are more likely to receive the early interventions they need than their peers who receive either monitoring or screening, according to a study led by Dr. Brian Barger-a researcher at the Georgia State University and Policy Fellow with the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." team at NCBDD.

The study's findings support the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations that developmental monitoring and screening are "complementary strategies for improving early identification and linkage to early intervention for young children," the researchers said. "Ideally, developmental monitoring and developmental screening should be used in tandem to maximize sensitivity to potential developmental delays."

Researchers used data from the 2007/2008 and 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health, which report the prevalence of children age 10 months to 3 years who received both developmental monitoring and screening, either monitoring or screening by itself, or neither. The researchers then compared the odds of receiving early interventions across those groups.

The results are published in the Disability and Health Journal in the article "Better Together: Developmental Screening and Monitoring Best Identify Children who Need Early Intervention."