What the New CDC Developmental Guidelines Mean For You

Hey momma, have you heard? The CDC changed the guidelines for developmental milestones. Here’s what that means in a nutshell.

Last month the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published revised developmental guidelines. Previous milestone checklists used data that represented the 50^thpercentile (or the average age at which 50% of babies/toddlers exhibit certain behaviors or milestones). The new CDC milestones utilize the 75^th percentile (or the age at which 75% of babies/toddlers exhibit those behaviors or milestones).

This means that, for many of the milestones, the ages have been “pushed back.” Children have been given more time to achieve various skills. More children will be “on track” according to the new checklists. And only children in the bottom 25% will fall into a “delayed” category.

These changes may prevent pediatricians from unnecessarily referring children to therapy (and unnecessarily concerning parents) when those children are actually developing normally. But these changes have prompted great discussion and concern amongst Early Intervention professionals. Fewer children will be identified with the new guidelines. And fewer children could receive the services they need.

I work as a Speech and Language Pathologist in school and private settings. Many early interventionists believe that increasing the age at which a child is expected to develop specific skills may cause a delay in needed screening and intervention.

The “wait and see” approach is never an approach that is recommended within the Early Intervention community. Many of us feel strongly that our patients should be screened by professionals as soon as possible. Early screenings can rule out any delayed milestones within a range of areas. These areas include swallowing, feeding, language, motor development, and sensory issues.

Many of us are concerned that babies and toddlers might be identified as having developmental delays later on in their development because of the newly revised checklists.

And this in turn means that you and your baby could be missing out on the critically important short window for optimal treatment options.

Also, many Early Intervention agencies and private practices around the state have wait lists that range between 3-6 months or more for services such as Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. This means that you and your little one cannot afford to use the “wait and see” approach. That time could be better utilized by getting a referral from your doctor immediately when you have a concern regarding your baby’s milestones.

And momma, if all of this feels overwhelming, here is a checklist of milestones that Early Interventionists look for regarding their specific areas of development.

So momma, trust your gut and get that referral right away! Don’t wait for your pediatrician to bring up their concerns. Speak up first if you have any questions or worries about your child’s development.

The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.