Parents of young children may have specific concerns about their children’s development and whether they are achieving developmental milestones appropriately. Parents of young children (aged 1-5) were asked whether they were concerned a lot, a little, or not at all about their children’s language skills, ability to get along with others, and ability to use their arms and legs.

Children were considered to be at high risk of developmental delay if their parents reported concerns about any two items, as appropriate for their child’s age; moderate risk if they had concerns about any one item; and low risk if they expressed general concerns about their child’s development but no concerns in specific areas. Overall, 24.6 percent of children in this age group met the criteria for moderate or high risk of developmental delay.

Boys appear to be slightly more likely to be at risk than girls. Of boys aged 1-5, 28.4 percent are reported to be at moderate or high risk of delays, compared to 20.4 percent of girls.

Parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) aged 1-5 are particularly likely to report concerns about their children’s development. Of CSHCN in this age group, 43.7 percent are reported to be at moderate or high risk of developmental delay, compared to 21.8 percent of children without special health care needs.