{"h1":"When should my child have a first developmental screening?","faq":[{"a":"Trusted paediatric guidance recommends broad developmental screening at the 9-month, 18-month and 24-or-30-month well-child visits, plus a dedicated autism screen at 18 and 24 months. Between these, every routine visit includes gentle developmental monitoring.","q":"At what ages is developmental screening recommended?"},{"a":"Yes. A scheduled age is a minimum, not a ceiling. If you have a concern at any age, that is reason enough to arrange a developmental check — you never need to wait for the next milestone visit.","q":"Can I screen my child before the scheduled age?"},{"a":"No. A screen is a short, gentle, play-based check that simply tells you and your clinician whether a closer look would help. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinician care.","q":"Does a developmental screening diagnose a condition?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-my-child-have-a-first-developmental-screening","title":"At what age should my child have a first developmental screening?","entity":{"key":"screen","kind":"lifecycle","name":"PinnacleAI journey — Screen","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":null,"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-child-too-young-to-be-assessed-for-developmental-concerns","title":"Is my child too young to be assessed for developmental concerns?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-6-to-9-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I get my 6-to-9-month-old assessed for development?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-9-to-12-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I Get My 9-to-12-Month-Old Assessed for Development?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-can-a-child-start-early-intervention","title":"At What Age Can a Child Start Early Intervention?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-a-free-developmental-screening-work-for-a-young-child","title":"How a Free Developmental Screening Works for a Young Child"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-get-my-child-s-development-assessed","title":"When to Assess Your Child's Development"}],"summary":"Developmental screening begins in infancy and continues as a rhythm of check-ins. Trusted paediatric guidance recommends broad developmental screening at the 9-, 18- and 24-or-30-month well-child visits, with autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months, plus gentle monitoring at every visit in between. Screening does not diagnose — it shows whether a supportive closer look would help. If you ever have a concern at any age, that is reason enough to screen sooner; you never need to wait.","answer_md":"*Wondering when to begin watching your child's development is one of the most caring questions a parent can ask — and the good news is that screening starts beautifully early.*\n\n## In short\nDevelopmental screening is not a one-time event — it begins in infancy and continues through the early years. Trusted paediatric guidance recommends **broad developmental and behavioural screening at the 9-month, 18-month, and 24-or-30-month** well-child visits, with a dedicated **autism-specific screen at 18 and 24 months**. Between these checkpoints, every routine visit includes gentle developmental monitoring. If you ever have a concern — at any age — that is reason enough to screen sooner; you never need to wait for the next milestone visit.\n\n## When screening happens\nThink of screening as a rhythm of reassuring check-ins rather than a single test:\n\n- **Ongoing monitoring** at every well-child visit from birth — your clinician watches how your baby moves, looks, listens and connects.\n- **9 months** — a structured screen covering motor, communication and early social development.\n- **18 months** — broad developmental screening *plus* a dedicated autism screen.\n- **24 or 30 months** — another broad developmental screen and autism screen, catching skills that emerge a little later.\n\nScreening is short, gentle and play-based. It does not diagnose anything — it simply tells you and your clinician whether a closer, supportive look would be helpful. A clear screen brings peace of mind; a flagged area opens an early door to support, when help works best.\n\n## When to screen sooner\nA scheduled age is a minimum, not a ceiling. Bring your child for a developmental check at **any age** if you notice few or no words, not responding to their name, little eye contact or shared smiling, not pointing, difficulty with sitting or walking when expected, or the loss of a skill once had. Parent instinct is valuable clinical information — what you notice every day matters.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — a 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 qualified clinician care. Across [70+ centres in 4 states](/), our clinicians turn a simple screen into a warm, clear picture of your child's strengths and next steps. If language is your concern, our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team can guide you with the right early support.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org) recommends developmental and behavioural screening at the 9-, 18- and 30-month visits, with autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months; CDC's \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" programme supports ongoing milestone monitoring at every visit and acting promptly on any concern.\n\n**Next step —** You don't need to wait for the next birthday. [Book a developmental screening](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle clinician for a calm, play-based check of your child's milestones.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-should-my-child-have-a-first-developmental-screening","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/at-what-age-should-my-child-have-a-first-developmental-screening","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[],"meta_title":"First Developmental Screening: At What Age?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep a simple phone note of the new things your child does — first words, pointing, waving, walking. Bringing these notes to a visit gives your clinician a clear, useful picture and makes any screen quicker and calmer.","published_at":"2026-06-10T12:32:00.111278+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-a-free-developmental-screening-work-for-a-young-child","title":"How a Free Developmental Screening Works for a Young Child","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-can-a-child-start-early-intervention","title":"At What Age Can a Child Start Early Intervention?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-i-need-a-doctor-s-referral-for-a-developmental-screening","title":"Do I Need a Doctor's Referral for a Developmental Screening?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-a-developmental-screening-and-is-it-really-free","title":"What is a developmental screening, and is it really free?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":4},{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-happens-if-my-child-s-developmental-screening-flags-a-concern","title":"What happens if my child's developmental screening flags a concern?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":1},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-get-my-child-s-development-assessed","title":"When to Assess Your Child's Development","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-6-to-9-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I get my 6-to-9-month-old assessed for development?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-9-to-12-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I Get My 9-to-12-Month-Old Assessed for Development?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-child-too-young-to-be-assessed-for-developmental-concerns","title":"Is my child too young to be assessed for developmental concerns?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":4}],"what_to_watch":"Screen at the routine 9-, 18- and 24-or-30-month visits, with autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months. Seek a check sooner at any age if you notice few or no words, no response to name, little eye contact or pointing, delayed sitting or walking, or loss of a skill once had.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP — developmental and behavioural screening schedule"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — developmental monitoring and screening"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T12:32:00.111278+00:00","meta_description":"Developmental screening starts at the 9-, 18- and 24-or-30-month visits, with autism screens at 18 and 24 months — plus a check anytime you have a concern.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}