What to ask your Paediatrician? – prepare for developmental assessment for your child

The first few growing years since birth will require every child to have routine health check-ups, to help ensure their growth and overall development are progressing normally. 

In all families, the first point of contact to help address medical concerns (if any) in the child would be his/her doctor – the Pediatrician. It is thus beneficial to maintain an open and honest relationship with your child’s doctor from the very beginning. 

Establish a regular line of communication, and do not hesitate to raise any questions or worries that may be a cause for your concern with reference to potential roadblocks that you may spot or suspect along the developmental time course of your child. 

Regular checkups will help spot any developmental delays in your child that may occur from birth till 5 years of age, thus allowing you to take action as early as possible. 

Learn about what to ask your Pediatrician during a developmental assessment. We have created a handy toolkit that parents may download, to help prepare for those doctor visits. 

In order to arrive at the correct diagnosis, doctors may need to:

• Ask you about your child’s history 
• Examining and observing your child thoroughly
• Assessing your child through tests

It is important that you provide accurate information about your child to help achieve a prompt diagnosis and timely intervention. Being mindful of some important questions may be helpful prior to a doctor visit.

How can you prepare before the doctor’s visit?

Make a complete list of any concerns that you might have regarding your child 

• Concerns regarding your child’s physical health
• Concerns regarding your child’s developmental milestones such as walking, talking, vision, hearing etc.

1. What is your main concern and when did you first observe your child?
2. How have the concerns changed over time?
3. What effect are these concerns having on your child’s daily routine such as eating, sleeping, toileting etc.
4. What tests or treatment has the child undergone previously? What are their effects on the child?

As a parent, you have the right to understand your child’s condition, and the responsibility to be an active partner in their care. Your involvement is essential in ensuring they receive the best support. Asking questions makes you an informed parent, not an impolite one.

Have a list of questions handy when you meet with your child’s doctor. Some important questions are:

1. What is the doctor’s opinion about your child’s condition? 

If it is not clear, do not hesitate to ask for a simpler explanation, that may help you understand more about your child’s condition.

2. What tests are required to evaluate your child?

It is important to understand tests that might be extremely important. At the same time, it is equally important to state that you do not want to put your child through unwanted tests with exposure to radiation such as X-ray or CT scans or tests that may cause inconvenience to your child like MRI testing.

3. What is the role and need of medications, if prescribed to your child. 

It is also important to understand the duration of these medicines. Do not hesitate to find out more about these medicines, including possible side effects. 

4. Empower yourself with knowledge

Learn more about the diagnosis and what developmental changes to expect.

5. Gather information

Learn about therapists, other professionals who can help and work with your child. Try to find out about support groups and parent information resource centers. 

The earlier you intervene, the greater the impact on your child’s health, with more scope for effective management of the diagnosed condition.

The continuous involvement of the parent with the child’s doctors will directly impact and contribute towards ensuring good health management practices are at your disposal.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. Our counsellors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this guide is for information purposes only. Please consult a qualified health practitioner for safe management.

Use this resource to learn about whom to approach with a specific query with regard to your child’s developmental challenges –  a Pediatric Neurologist or a Developmental Pediatrician? You might also like to read about understanding child growth and observing delays.