Developmental Assessments - Your Questions Answered

Seeking services for your child can be stressful. It can feel even more overwhelming when you are not quite sure what to look for. Determining which services and supports a child needs is rarely straightforward, and can take a lot of investigation. It can seem like a formidable feat, especially when you might not know where to start.

If you know this feeling, a developmental assessment may be the best path forward, and give you all the information you need to make the best decision for your child. A developmental assessment involves clinicians from different professions, which gives you the whole puzzle rather than a single piece.

What is a developmental assessment?

A developmental assessment is an evaluation conducted by an interdisciplinary team, such as a psychologist, occupational therapist, and speech-language pathologist, to assess a child’s skills in a variety of areas. Domains assessed include cognition, social-emotional skills, adaptive skills, speech and language, and gross and fine motor skills. The entire interdisciplinary team works together to evaluate a child within a 90 minute window, using a combination of clinical observations, standardized and non-standardized measures to identify their strengths and areas of growth.

When is a developmental assessment appropriate for my child?

A developmental assessment is appropriate for children who have significant difficulties or concerns across a multitude of domains. Because of its multidisciplinary approach, a developmental assessment is the best tool to thoroughly evaluate a child’s skills across all areas.

What age does my child need to be to participate in a developmental assessment?

Developmental assessments are most appropriate for children between the ages of two and five years old. The multi-disciplinary approach is better suited for this age range because it allows for thorough investigation of a child’s needs, which informs effective, targeted intervention early in life.

Can my child get a diagnosis from a developmental assessment?

Yes, a child can get a formal diagnosis from a developmental assessment. For example, the data collected from the assessment may indicate that a child meets the criteria for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The benefit of a developmental assessment is that your child will have clinicians from different disciplines evaluating their respective domains, such as social skills, sensory processing, and language development.