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.