{"h1":"Spotting Developmental Delays Early: A Guide for Anganwadi Workers","faq":[{"a":"No — your job is to observe and refer, not to diagnose or label. Share what you have noticed gently and factually, reassure the family, and guide them to a developmental check with a qualified clinician who can assess properly.","q":"Can I tell parents their child has a delay?"},{"a":"Note your observations with dates and the child's age, watch the pattern over a few weeks, and check that hearing and vision are fine. If concern persists across the anganwadi and at home, refer — it is always safer to check than to wait.","q":"What if I'm not sure whether a child is really behind?"},{"a":"From birth onward, using age-appropriate milestones. In the first months focus on feeding, movement, eye contact and response to sound; speech and play milestones become more meaningful through the toddler years.","q":"At what age should I start watching milestones?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-or-early-years-worker-how-do-i-spot-developmental-delays-early","title":"As an anganwadi or early-years worker, how do I spot developmental delays early?","entity":{"key":"teach-anganwadi-screening","kind":"educator_support","name":"early-years screening","slug":"teach-anganwadi-screening"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Teacher","value":"teacher"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Context","value":"context"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support In Class","value":"support_in_class"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Mainstream Inclusion","value":"mainstream_inclusion"}],"parent":null,"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-an-anganwadi-worker-do-first-if-a-child-is-not-meeting-milestones","title":"What an anganwadi worker should do first for missed milestones"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-use-a-simple-developmental-checklist-in-the-community","title":"Using a Simple Developmental Checklist in the Community"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-asha-worker-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting Early Signs of Developmental Delay: An ASHA Worker's Guide"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-know-when-to-refer-a-child-for-developmental-help","title":"When should an anganwadi worker refer a child for developmental help?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-phc-nurse-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting early signs of developmental delay at the PHC"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting early signs of developmental delay — anganwadi worker guide"}],"summary":"Anganwadi and early-years workers spot delays by knowing age-wise milestones across movement, speech, social-emotional and learning, observing children in everyday play, listening to parents, noting concerns with dates, and referring — never labelling — when a child is clearly behind across settings.","answer_md":"*You see hundreds of little ones every week — which means you are often the very first person who can catch a delay early enough to change a child's whole future.*\n\n## In short\nAs an anganwadi or early-years worker, you spot developmental delays by knowing the simple milestones for each age across four areas — movement, speech and language, social-emotional, and learning — and gently noting when a child is clearly behind compared with others of the same age. You do not diagnose; you observe, jot down, talk to the family, and refer for a proper check. Trust your everyday observations and any parental worry — both are strong early signals.\n\n## What to watch, by area\n**Movement (motor)**\n- Not sitting without support by ~9 months, not walking by ~18 months\n- Very floppy or very stiff body; not using both hands equally\n\n**Speech and language**\n- No babble by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months\n- Does not turn to name or follow a simple instruction\n\n**Social and emotional**\n- Little eye contact, smiling or back-and-forth play\n- No pointing to show or share interest by ~18 months\n\n**Learning and play**\n- Not exploring toys, no pretend play, very fixed or repetitive play\n- Loss of any skill the child once had — this needs **prompt** attention at any age\n\n## Your simple early-screening routine\n1. **Know the age-band milestones** — keep a one-page chart per age group on hand.\n2. **Observe in everyday play** — watch how a child moves, talks, plays and relates during normal anganwadi activities, not in a test.\n3. **Always listen to parents** — a parent's worry is one of the most reliable early signs.\n4. **Note it down with dates and the child's age** — patterns over weeks matter more than one bad day.\n5. **Check hearing and vision first** — many speech and attention concerns trace back to these.\n6. **Refer, don't label** — when a child is clearly behind across settings, route the family for a developmental check rather than waiting.\n\nA child does not need to fail every milestone to deserve a referral. Persistent concern across home and the anganwadi is enough.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under the care of a qualified clinician — your role is the priceless first observation that starts the journey. Pinnacle backs early-years workers like you with structured [early-years screening](/teach-anganwadi-screening) support and, where speech and language is the concern, clear pathways into [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate). Your notes plus a clinician's structured assessment together build the fullest picture of a child's strengths.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAligned with the WHO and Nurturing Care Framework on early childhood development, CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" milestone guidance, the American Academy of Pediatrics via HealthyChildren, and NIMHANS developmental resources.\n\n**Next step —** keep an age-wise milestone chart in your anganwadi, and when a child stands out, refer the family for a developmental check on WhatsApp: +91 91001 81181.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-an-anganwadi-or-early-years-worker-how-do-i-spot-developmental-delays-early","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-an-anganwadi-or-early-years-worker-how-do-i-spot-developmental-delays-early","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[],"meta_title":"Anganwadi Guide: Spot Developmental Delays Early","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep a one-page age-wise milestone chart pinned in your anganwadi. During normal play, quietly check three things: does the child respond to name, point to share, and play with others their age?","published_at":"2026-06-11T06:40:00.1227+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting early signs of developmental delay — anganwadi worker guide","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-asha-worker-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting Early Signs of Developmental Delay: An ASHA Worker's Guide","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-know-when-to-refer-a-child-for-developmental-help","title":"When should an anganwadi worker refer a child for developmental help?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-an-anganwadi-worker-do-first-if-a-child-is-not-meeting-milestones","title":"What an anganwadi worker should do first for missed milestones","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-an-anganwadi-worker-how-can-i-use-a-simple-developmental-checklist-in-the-community","title":"Using a Simple Developmental Checklist in the Community","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-phc-nurse-how-can-i-spot-the-early-signs-of-developmental-delay-in-a-child","title":"Spotting early signs of developmental delay at the PHC","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":6}],"what_to_watch":"Act promptly on any loss of a skill the child once had, very floppy or very stiff movement, no babble by 12 months, or a parent's persistent worry — these signal a same-week referral rather than watch-and-wait.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://nurturing-care.org","label":"WHO Nurturing Care Framework for early childhood development"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early."},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren developmental milestones"},{"url":"https://nimhans.ac.in","label":"NIMHANS developmental resources"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T06:40:00.1227+00:00","meta_description":"A practical guide for anganwadi and early-years workers: age-wise milestones, what to watch, and when to refer a child for a developmental check.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}