The normal range of development timing is wide but in all children follows the directions of:
Children who lag markedly behind in major developmental milestones should be evaluated by a child health professional. See Developmental Milestones for a partial listing of these milestones.
Common tools used to detect development delays and to monitor children at risk for delays are the Denver Developmental Tests. These are standardized tools for detecting problems in areas identified as personal-social, fine motor–adaptive, language, and gross motor. A standardized score sheet and an approved kit are needed to conduct tests.