Clinical evaluation of child development from birth to five years

Children’s developmental progress is a dynamic and transactional process that involves multiple influences. Developmental delays and disorders often coexist with behavioural problems, and any comprehensive clinical process should include a method for their identification. This article emphasizes the essential competencies for clinical evaluation of children’s development. It introduces a basic conceptual framework for understanding children’s typical development and some generic features that suggest abnormalities of development. Typical and ‘red flag’ ages in the children’s developmental progress are described in each domain. Some key principles for taking history and making observations are highlighted. An outline of the current understanding of the evidence-based investigations is provided. Some practical considerations for making a developmental diagnosis, seeking further opinion and management planning are discussed.