As newly adoptive parents we may wonder about our child's development. This may be more pressing if the child has a rough or missing history or did not receive quality prenatal/medical care prior to placement. Several options exist to have your child's development assessed. The most obvious to many may be the family's or child's regular physician. Another avenue would be to schedule an evaluation with a developmental pediatrician. Physicians specializing in developmental pediatrics focus more on all aspects of child development, not just well baby/childcare. These areas include motor, cognitive, and social/emotional development. Developmental pediatricians are usually associated with large hospitals or research centers.

Additionally, infants and young children (age 0-3 years old) in Illinois are eligible for developmental screenings through the Child and Family Connections (CFC). Families interested in receiving a screening should contact the state's Help Me Grow hotline at 1-800-323-GROW to locate the nearest CFC office. There are also diagnostic centers that will perform thorough multidisciplinary assessments for children who haven't turned 3 years old, although some clinics will evaluate a child who has not yet turned 4 years old. These assessments are more comprehensive than the screenings provided by the CFC's.

In Illinois these clinics are located at:

LaRabida Children's Hospital 0-3 Diagnostic Clinic
773-363-6700, ext. 448

University of Illinois at Chicago Family Clinic
312-413-1490

UIC Children's Habilitation Clinic
312-996-7202

Illinois Masonic Medical Center Pediatric Developmental Center
773-296-7340

Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Developmental Diagnostic Clinic
312-942-6809

Lutheran General Children's Hospital Child Development Clinic
847-318-9067

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Child Diagnostic Clinic
217-557-5829

Children over age 3 are eligible for developmental screenings through their local public school district. Parent should secure appropriate medical and diagnostic interventions as early as possible. Develop-mental screenings should identify a child at risk for developmental disabilities or who actually demonstrates a developmental disability. If a child fails a developmental screening, the child should be referred for a more comprehensive developmental evaluation. If a child passes a screening, yet the parent continues to be concerned about the child's development, it may be wise to seek a full developmental evaluation.

Robbie O'Shea, Ph.D., PT, is an adoptive parent of two children and is on the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy at Governor's State University. She has been a pediatric physical therapist for 13 years and currently sits on the CAFFA Board of Directors. This article was reprinted from the CAFFA October newsletter by permission of the author.