Developmental Screening offers a snapshot of a child’s current abilities in language, movement, thinking, behavior, and emotions. It is a way to tell if the child is learning these basic skills when they should, or if there may be a developmental delay. Developmental Milestones describe how children should be growing and learning in the developmental areas at different stages of their lives.

A doctor, nurse, educator, or parent can complete developmental screening on a child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened at 9, 18, 24, and 30 months of age, and every year thereafter, to ensure that development is on track, and to help families seek additional resources, evaluation, or referrals for services if needed.

Screening young children is an effective, efficient way to check a child’s development, help celebrate a child’s milestones, and determine whether follow-up steps are needed. It is also an essential first step toward identifying children with delays or disabilities in the critical early years, before they start school. Research shows that children who qualify and receive intervention services are more likely to be successful readers, less likely to continue needing special education services later in life, more likely to have improved social skills, and are more likely to graduate from high school.

To complete a screening questionnaire for your child, please select their school district* below to access the screening tool. Don’t know your child’s school district? Click here to find out.

If your child attends a child care center, please enter the center’s address into the school locator link here, and not your home address. Find your school district and then use that district’s developmental tool to screen your child.

Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ®-3) and Ages and Stages Social Emotional Questionnaires (ASQ:SE:2) are used in Delaware by early educators and rely on parents as experts, are easy to use, family friendly, and create the snapshot needed to catch delays and celebrate milestones.

Check out this step-by-step guide for early childhood programs from the Delaware Department of Education.