Learn The Signs. Act Early: Developmental Screening Resources for Parents
Date: 07/27/21
How do you know if your young child is growing on track with other children their age? After all, babies don’t come with instruction manuals. But learning about developmental milestones (when your child should do things like speak, crawl or play), doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, there are many free resources that can help you track your child’s growth, teach you what to look for, and give you tips on what to do if you have concerns.
Check out some of these free tools families can use:
Apps:
- Start Smart Louisiana Pregnancy App: Created just for members of Louisiana Healthcare Connections, the Start Smart for Your Baby app connects you with a library of health articles, trackers for baby, growth milestones, and much more! Plus, get one-touch connection to our free 24/7 Nurse Advice Line. https://www.louisianahealthconnect.com/members/medicaid/resources/start-smart-louisiana-pregnancy-app.html
- Milestone Tracker Mobile App: Get milestone checklists, watch videos of milestones, and find tips and activities for each age level. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html
- Vroom Mobile App: A mobile app parents can use to help kids learn in everyday situations. https://www.vroom.org/
Booklets:
- Children’s books: Books for parents to read to their 1-3 year olds. These books include quick tips about milestones. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/freematerials.html#Children
- Milestone Moments Booklets: These booklets help your track your child’s development. They also have sample questions to ask your child’s doctor. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/pubs/cdcinfoondemand.aspx?ProgramID=233&CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Factearly%2Forders%2Findex.html
Website Checklists and Interactive Tools:
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP’s) Physical Developmental Delay Online Tool: Helps you tell if your child has physical delays (like taking longer to learn to roll over, sit up or walk). It also gives tips on talking with your child’s doctor.
- Baby Navigator: Babies learn at a fast rate. Simply choose your child’s age and see the milestones that happen from birth to 24 months. https://babynavigator.com/resources/
- CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. This site helps you learn the signs of early development, track your child’s growth, and act early when there is a concern. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/freematerials.html
- Child Development Quiz: Test your knowledge by taking this quiz. http://louisianahealthconnect.kramesonline.com/InteractiveTools/40,S,ChildhoodDevelopmentQuiz
- Early childhood resources near you: Choose your parish from the Louisiana Department of Education’s map for a list of resources you can print. https://actearlymap.doe.louisiana.gov/
- Zero to Three: A list of the most popular resources on child development for parents. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/series/parent-favorites