Denver Development tool
Please reflect on the use of the Denver Development tool in regards to a patient you saw during clinical hours.
What would this tool tell you about your patients?
Do you feel it is beneficial to the care of our patients to know where they are developmentally? Why or why not?
Do you think this tool is a benefit for patients and families?
What are some barriers to the use of this particular tool?
Do you feel any of your patients you cared for during in person clinical would benefit from additional resources based off of their developmental state? If yes, what resources would you recommend? If no, why don’t you feel that they would benefit?
Do you feel that there are better ways to assess development in our patients? Is there another developmental tool you feel is more appropriate? Which one and why?
You may use the How to Screen resource if you feel like you need additional help. Please site this in APA if you use it.
This should be 2-3 pages, in APA format, proper grammar/spelling/sentence structures.
An estimated 15% of children in the United States have at least one developmental delay, yet less than one-fifth of those children receive early intervention services before three years of age. Many barriers exist to implementing initial screening and referral, but screening tools can be easily incorporated into the workflow of the primary care practice with preparation. The use of a validated screening tool at regular, repeated intervals, in addition to physician surveillance at well-child visits, may improve early detection. Early intervention is effective in high-risk children and associated with improvements in cognitive and academic performance. Parent-completed tools are preferable to directly administered tools in the primary care setting because of time constraints. The most extensively evaluated parent-completed tools are the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status. Family physicians should be familiar with currently available screening tools and the limitations and strengths of these tools. Additional evaluations and referrals are recommended if screening suggests developmental delays are present.
The prevalence of any developmental delay is estimated at 15% in U.S. children three to 17 years of age.1 Only 3% of all children received public early intervention services by three years of age in 2014.2 The percentage of school-aged children receiving public intervention services reaches a peak of 12.5% between the ages of nine and 12 years.2 Risk factors for developmental delay include male sex, lower socioeconomic status, perinatal risk factors, and lower level of maternal education.1,3,4 Table 1 indicates the prevalence of delays in specific domains such as cognition and language.4,5 Identification of developmental delays and their etiology allows for the implementation of interventions and treatment plans specific to the disorder.
