Parents often have concerns about the learning, development, or behavior of their children, particularly preschool children. The survey asked parents of children aged 5 and under about specific concerns in the areas of speech, language comprehension, manual dexterity, motor skills, behavior, getting along with others, the ability to do things for themselves, and pre-school and school skills. Of children aged 5 and under, the parents of 36.6 percent reported that they had a concern about their children in at least one of these areas.

Parents of boys are more likely to report these concerns than are parents of girls. The parents of 40 percent of boys aged 0-5 reported at least one concern about learning, development, or behavior, compared to the parents of 33 percent of girls in this age group.

Low-income parents were more likely to report concerns than were parents with higher income levels. Of children in families with incomes below the poverty level, the parents of 43.6 percent reported having at least one concern about their child, compared to 38.9 percent of children with family incomes between 100 and 199 percent of poverty, 35.1 percent of children with family incomes between 200 and 399 percent of poverty and 31.7 percent of children in higher-income families.