What happens during a developmental assessment
If you have a developmental assessment booked for your child, you may be picturing something more clinical and frightening than it is. Let me walk you through it, room by room, before you go.
The whole child, not one symptom
What a developmental assessment is
A developmental assessment is simply a structured, unhurried look at how your child is growing across the areas that matter: how they communicate, how they play and relate, how they move, how they think and solve little problems, and how they manage everyday tasks.
I am a general paediatrician with a special interest in child development. This kind of developmental check is exactly what I do. A quick word on the words: this developmental check is mine to do, and it is not the same thing as the formal autism diagnosis, which a specialist team makes. Mine is the broad first look. If it points that way, I walk you to that formal step.
Not a test your child can fail
What it is not
It is not a test your child can fail. It is not a day of forms and machines. And it is not a verdict handed down at the end. It is information gathering, done gently, so that you and I understand your child better and know what, if anything, would help. Development runs on a range, and the point is to see where your child sits on that range.
Point at things to show you, not just to ask for them.
Bring things over to show you, and look to see if you are watching.
Follow your point and look where you are looking.
Make eye contact and share smiles in back and forth play.
Use lots of gestures to make up for the missing words.
Understand much more than they can say.
In other words, the wiring for communication is all there. The words are just running late.
Four parts, none of them scary
What actually happens in the room
Reduced pointing and showing, less of the look at this that exists purely to share.
Reduced joint attention, not following your point, not checking whether you are watching.
Less response to name, and less eye contact in everyday back and forth.
Fewer compensating gestures, where a late talker gestures more, an autistic child often gestures less.
Repetitive behaviours or strong routines, and intense narrow interests.
Play that looks different, less pretend, more lining up, spinning, or repeating.
We talk. This is the biggest part, and you are the star of it. I ask about your pregnancy, your child’s milestones, communication, play, and your specific worries. Nobody knows your child like you do.
I watch your child play. Often the most useful part looks like the least clinical, I set your child up with toys and observe how they point, share, play pretend, respond to their name, and make eye contact.
I use simple structured tools. Where it helps, recognised checklists or screening tools like the M-CHAT-R make my impression more precise.
I examine your child. A gentle physical and developmental examination, checking growth, and thinking about whether hearing or vision could be playing a part.
A child can be autistic and talk on time, and a child can have a pure speech delay and be perfectly socially connected. The speech is the noisy part. The connection is the telling part.
A slightly unusual playdate
How it feels for your child
For your child, most of this feels like a slightly unusual playdate with a friendly adult and some good toys. There are no needles as a routine part of it, no exam-room pressure. The more relaxed you are, the more your child relaxes, and the truer the picture I get. You do not need to coach or prepare your child. Just let them be themselves.
You will never leave confused
What you leave with
At the end, you leave with:
So whichever way your gut leans after reading this, the next step is the same: have your child looked at. If it is a late talker, you get reassurance and a plan. If it is more, you get an early start. Both are good outcomes. The only bad outcome is waiting.
A picture of how your child is developing across each area, their strengths as well as any concerns.
A plain-language explanation of what I think is going on.
A plan, whether that is reassurance and a review in a few months, some simple things to do at home, a referral to therapy, or a referral for a fuller assessment if I think it is needed.
The single promise I make every parent: you will understand what happens next before you walk out of the door.
Two rungs on the same ladder
When it leads to a fuller assessment
Sometimes my developmental check is all that is needed. Sometimes it points to something that deserves a deeper look, and then I refer you on. For autism specifically, that fuller step is a formal diagnostic assessment, done by a developmental paediatrician, child psychiatrist, or clinical psychologist, using more detailed observation tools and the DSM-5 criteria. Most families only need the first. My job is to know when you need the second, and to get you there without delay.
Is behind on speech and points, shares, or makes eye contact less than you would expect.
Does not respond to their name, or follow your point.
Gestures little to make up for the missing words.
Shows repetitive behaviours, strong routines, or little pretend play.
Has lost words, gestures, or social skills.
Questions parents ask
Developmental assessment FAQ
What happens during a child's developmental assessment?
It usually has four gentle parts: a detailed conversation with you about your child's history and your concerns, watching your child play to see how they communicate and relate, simple structured checklists where they help, and a physical and developmental examination that also considers hearing and vision. There is no pass or fail, and no needles as a routine part. You leave with a picture of your child's development and a clear plan.
Is a developmental assessment the same as an autism diagnosis?
Will my child be upset during the assessment?
How long does a developmental assessment take?
What should I bring to a developmental assessment?
Book a developmental consultation and let’s look at how your child is growing, together.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis or individual medical advice. Every child is different. If you are worried about your child, please see a doctor who can examine them.