Developmental Screening
Universal recommended early childhood developmental screening serves as a tool to center developmental discussion and planning with families to prevent risks, promote, or repair optimal development.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening
The AAP recommends that all children be screened for ASD at ages 18 and 24 months, along with regular developmental surveillance. Toddlers and children should be referred for diagnostic evaluation when increased risk for developmental disorders (including ASD) is identified through screening and/or surveillance. Children should be referred for intervention for all identified developmental delays at the time of identification and not wait for an ASD diagnostic evaluation to take place. For more information and resources, visit the AAP’s page on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Social Emotional Development Screening
Early childhood is a period of both great opportunity and vulnerability. Optimal early childhood development can reduce negative impacts of adverse experiences, build resilience, and allow children to thrive. Social emotional development also builds:
- self-esteem/self-confidence
- self-efficacy
- self-regulation
- executive functioning
- intrinsic motivation
- conflict resolution
- social and communication skills
Social-emotional development screening tools are better at identifying young children at risk for behavioral and social-emotional issues than broad developmental screening tools. Pre-pandemic, 1 in 6 children ages 2-8 had an unidentified mental health concern.1
Resources
- Screening Tool Finder
- Social Emotional Screening CME webinar with Dr. Mary Margaret Gleason MD, FAAP
- After viewing the webinar, if you would like CME credit, complete the survey Eligible to receive 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
1 CDC Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health
Social Drivers of Health Assessment
The AAP recommends surveillance for risk factors related to social determinants of health during all patient encounters. For more information and resources, visit the AAP’s page on SDoH.
Resources
Perinatal Depression Screening
Perinatal depression (PND) is the most common obstetric complication in the United States. It has the potential to have long-term adverse health complications for the family, including the parent-infant dyad. However, these impacts could be buffered through effective treatment. Just like any screening, there should be action taken if a perinatal depression screening is positive. Possible strategies include a referral to parent-child psychotherapy and/or a referral to the mother’s PCC. Find more information on screening and payment strategies for perinatal depression at the AAP STAR Center.
Following a positive screen, pediatricians should engage in a brief intervention to demystify parental depression and provide support. A brief intervention during the visit includes:
- encourage understanding and response to the infant’s cues; emphasize the importance of observing nonverbal behavior;
- encourage routines for predictability and security;
- encourage focus on wellness (sleep, diet, exercise, stress relief);
- acknowledge personal experiences;
- promote realistic expectations and prioritizing important things; and
- encourage social involvement and bolster social networks and supports.
Postpartum depression and anxiety: How to start the conversation
Integrating Postpartum Depression Screening in Your Practice in 4 Steps
AAP Policy
Resources
Perinatal Depression Resident Curriculum
Participating in this curriculum will provide learners with a deep dive into perinatal depression and will enable health care professionals and trainees to engage in small group discussions and promote peer-to-peer learning. The goal of these interventions is to address the process skills needed; skills in problem solving, critical thinking, group process, change management and lifetime learning. The learning objectives correspond with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies for residency training programs to fulfill requirements and set context within clinical learning environments for development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to take personal responsibility for the individual care of patients. Upon successful completion of the curriculum, participants will possess the necessary skills and knowledge when screening for, and management of perinatal depression.
Access the curriculum. Once you’ve created a user account and you’re logged in to Pedialink, click on the Training, Learning and Resource page then Training Curricula.
- The Why and How of Perinatal Depression Screening with Marian Earls, MD, MTS, FAAP
After viewing the webinar, if you would like CME credit, complete the survey Eligible to receive 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Screening Workflows
Getting Started: Implementing a Screening Process
Tools and Resources to get you started on developing a process for screening, counseling, and referring, including assessing your office environment, creating a family centered screening process, and understanding your community resources.
Getting Started Worksheet
The following worksheet has been created as a guide to help you in developing a screening process workflow for your practice. For the purposes of this worksheet, a screening process is defined as the method of early identification and intervention for potential risks to a child’s development through ongoing surveillance, routine screening per AAP guidelines, family-centered discussion of results, interpretation, and—when concerns are identified—referral and follow-up.
Successful Strategies and Model Screening Processes
View the videos below to hear from practices across the country about how screening for developmental concerns, perinatal depression, and social drivers of health has benefitted them and the families they serve.
Designing a workflow for integrated mental health.
Use key considerations, examples, and tools to help teams create an integrated mental health workflow.
Cross-sector partnership engagement tool
This tool was developed by Help Me Grow National Center using their resources and the EnAct! Framework Partnership Landscape Analysis. Use this tool to identify community and state partners for relationship building. Start with 1-3 partnerships—either new or that can be strengthened—and identify strategies to work together to meet mutual goals.
Change Package for Community Health Centers: Integrating the Early Childhood Development Continuum of Care
The change package offers step-by-step guidance and customizable sample tools – such as scripts, checklists, and templates – to support teams in testing, refining, and sustaining improvements over time.
Billing for Screening
Billing for Screening
Please refer to the AAP Coding Fact Sheets for the most up-to-date information. Relevant factsheets include: ECDHS Early Childhood Social-Emotional Developmental Billing and Coding Document, Bright Futures and Preventive Medicine, Developmental Screening/Testing and Emotional Behavioral Assessment, Depression, and Trauma.
Should you have other billing and coding questions, please visit Coding at the AAP or email your questions to the AAP Coding Hotline.
Additional Resources
- A Guide to Physician-Focused Alternative Payment Models - This report providing physicians with information about potential alternative payment models and how to choose the appropriate one for their clinical needs.
- CPT Code Changes for Health Risk Assessments Effective Jan. 1 - Article providing details on the new codes went into effect on January 1 for reporting and administering screenings and health risk assessments such as developmental screenings and parental depression screenings.
Last Updated
05/13/2026
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics