April is National Autism Awareness Month. The prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 68 births in the United States – nearly twice as great as the 2004 rate of 1 in 125 – and almost 1 in 54 boys. Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). If a child is ‘missing’ these milestones, parents need to consider evaluation by their pediatrician.
But how does one know if a child is, or is not, meeting developmental milestones? The following is a Developmental Milestones Quiz developed by the CDC to help. If, after taking this quiz, you have concerns about a child in your life, call our office and arrange a time to speak with our pediatrician. We are here to help!
