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Colorado Value:
Percentage of children ages 9-35 months whose parent completed a standardized developmental screening tool in the past 12 months (2-year estimate)
Colorado Rank:
Appears In:
Percentage of children ages 9-35 months whose parent completed a standardized developmental screening tool in the past 12 months (2-year estimate)
US Value: 34.8%
Top State(s): Oregon: 50.6%
Bottom State(s): Arizona: 18.9%
Definition: Percentage of children ages 9-35 months whose parent completed a standardized developmental screening tool in the past 12 months (2-year estimate)
Data Source and Years(s): National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2020-2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Regular well-child visits with a health care provider are an integral part of promoting the healthy growth and development of children. During these visits, doctors monitor and screen for delays or problems in the child’s development. These screenings can lead to early detection of developmental disabilities such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can then lead to better treatments and improved outcomes. A delay in detection of developmental disorders is a missed opportunity to provide interventions that allow children to achieve intelligence quotients (IQs) greater than 85 or unassisted placement into a general education classroom.
Populations that are more likely than others to receive developmental screening include:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that every child receive a developmental screening at age 9, 18, 24 and 30 months during their well-child visits. Increasing access and quality of care improves developmental screening. The 2010 Affordable Care Act included coverage for important early intervention preventive services including developmental screening for children younger than age 3, as well as surveillance throughout childhood, autism screening, behavioral assessments and hearing and vision screenings.
Other pilot initiatives to increase the proportion of children who receive developmental screening include:
Increasing the proportion of children who receive developmental screening is a Healthy People 2030 objective.
Capodieci, Agnese, Maria Laura Gola, Cesare Cornoldi, and Anna Maria Re. “Effects of a Working Memory Training Program in Preschoolers with Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 40, no. 1 (January 2, 2018): 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2017.1307946.
Ferris, Melanie, and Darcie Thomsen. “Coordinating Communities for Healthy Development: Lessons Learned through Minnesota’s Assuring Better Child Development (ABCD III) Project.” Saint Paul, MN: Wilder Research, October 2012. https://www.wilder.org/sites/default/files/imports/ABCD_III_FinalReport_10-12.pdf.
Germuth, Amy A. “Evaluation of the North Carolina Partnership for Children and Smart Start’s Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge: Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Program: Final Summary Report.” Durham, NC: EvalWorks, LLC, 2016. https://files.nc.gov/ncelc/abcd_evaluation-_final_summary_report.pdf.
Malik, Fauzia, John M. Booker, Shannon Brown, Catherine McClain, and Jane McGrath. “Improving Developmental Screening Among Pediatricians in New Mexico: Findings From the Developmental Screening Initiative.” Clinical Pediatrics 53, no. 6 (March 20, 2014): 531–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922814527499.
Melchior, Lisa A., and Amber Brink. “211 Developmental Screening and Care Coordination Project Descriptive Study: First 5 LA Developmental Screening Environmental Scan.” Culver City, CA: The Measurement Group LLC, 2014. https://www.first5la.org/files/211%20Descriptive%20Study%20Report%20FINAL%20July%2024%202014%20with%20appendices.pdf.
Reichow, Brian. “Overview of Meta-Analyses on Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 42, no. 4 (April 1, 2012): 512–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1218-9.
Roux, Anne M., Patricia Herrera, Cheryl M. Wold, Margaret C. Dunkle, Frances P. Glascoe, and Paul T. Shattuck. “Developmental and Autism Screening Through 2-1-1: Reaching Underserved Families.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 43, no. 6 (December 2012): S457–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.08.011.
Vismara, Laurie A., and Sally J. Rogers. “Behavioral Treatments in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know?” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology 6, no. 1 (March 1, 2010): 447–68. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131151.
Zuckerman, Katharine E., Kimber M. Mattox, Brianna K. Sinche, Gregory S. Blaschke, and Christina Bethell. “Racial, Ethnic, and Language Disparities in Early Childhood Developmental/Behavioral Evaluations: A Narrative Review.” Clinical Pediatrics 53, no. 7 (June 1, 2014): 619–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922813501378.
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