Ordering the Tests

PEDS-R^® is an evidence-based screen that elicits and addresses parents concerns about children's language, motor, self-help, early academic skills, behavior and social-emotional/mental health. PEDS-R^® tells you when parents' concerns suggest problems requiring referral and which concerns are best responded to with advice or reassurance. PEDS also reduces 'oh by the way' concerns, focuses visits, ensures a 'teachable moment', and is known to improve attendance at well-visits. PEDS:DM^® is a milestones-based checklist measure consisting of 6-8 questions, depending on the age-range (older children have academic items). Each item taps a different developmental domain: expressive language, receptive language, fine motor, gross motor, social-emotional, self-help, academics in both reading and math (older children). PEDS:DM-AL^® is a mid-level assessment measure of development, social-emotional, & mental health that provides age-equivalent and % of delay scores in ALL domains (Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Expressive Language, Receptive Language, Self-Help, Social-Emotional, Academic/Pre-Academic, Cognitive). PEDS:DM-AL^® is useful for settings where children have elevated risk for developmental-behavioral problems and where longitudinal progress monitoring is needed.

The Best Approach

Adding PEDS-R^® to the PEDS:DM^® (both at the same time, or the PEDS:DM^® as needed) offers good compliance with American Academy of Pediatrics policy: eliciting and addressing parents’ concerns at each encounter, monitoring milestones, and screening with validated tools periodically. Using PEDS-R^® and PEDS:DM^® together improves communication between families and providers, increases the likelihood of attendance at follow-up visits, and offers optimal program evaluation/ research metrics.