Periodic developmental surveillance by appropriately trained and qualified health care providers is important for all young children. Such routine surveillance provides an active way to identify developmental problems as early as possible.

• It is recommended that the process of routine developmental surveillance be ongoing and begin at birth.
   
  
• It is recommended that developmental surveillance for young children include the following components:
  
  a. Eliciting and attending to parents’ concerns
  b. Obtaining a relevant developmental history
  c. Observing children accurately
  d. Sharing opinions and concerns with parents and other professionals who care for the child

• Periodic health examinations provide specific opportunities for routine developmental surveillance in young children. During these exams, parent reports about their child’s behaviors and direct observations of the child by the examiner may provide useful clues to help identify concerns about possible developmental problems, including autism.
  
  

• The periodic exams at 15, 18, and 24 months are particularly useful in providing information about possible autism, since characteristics of autism often begin to emerge during the second year of life.
  

CDC Awareness Campaign
Learn the Signs, Act Early Aimed at Early Detection of Autism & Other Developmental Disorders

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national campaign to increase awareness and action in identifying children at risk for autism and other developmental disorders.

The Learn the Signs, Act Early Campaign is designed to help healthcare providers and parents identify the signs of developmental disorders earlier, including autism, hearing loss, and cerebral palsy. The program will focus on educating health care professionals and new and expecting parents about the importance of early detection of developmental disabilities.
For more information, contact the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO.