Skip to content

Comprehensive Developmental Screenings

Comprehensive developmental screenings for children ages 2-5 to identify potential delays and provide guidance on next steps.

About This Service

What Is Comprehensive Developmental Screenings?

Our comprehensive developmental screenings are for children ages 2 to 5 who may be showing early signs of delay in speech, motor, social, or cognitive development. A licensed clinical psychologist leads the screening, which typically includes a developmental history, standardized measures, and when it helps, observation in a school or home setting. Families leave with a clear picture of what’s happening for their child and specific guidance on what to do next.
Who Is It For

Who Can Benefit?

Parents with concerns about their child’s developmental milestones

Families whose pediatrician has recommended a closer look

Children ages 2-5 showing delays in speech, motor, or social skills

Parents navigating long waitlists elsewhere who need timely guidance

Families wanting a clear picture before pursuing a full evaluation

Preschools or caregivers seeking professional input on a child’s development

Learn More

Understanding Comprehensive Developmental Screenings

You know your child better than anyone. When something feels off, whether it’s a pediatrician’s quiet “let’s keep an eye on this,” a note from a preschool teacher, or your own parent gut telling you something’s up, you want answers. You don’t want to wait months for an appointment.

Our developmental screenings are built for that moment. A licensed clinical psychologist leads the screening, and families of young children can get timely, research-informed clarity about what’s happening developmentally, and what, if anything, makes sense to do next.

What a Developmental Screening Includes

Every screening is shaped around your child, but most include:

A developmental history, where we talk with parents about milestones, concerns, and what you’ve been seeing over time

Standardized measures, age-appropriate assessments that give us a common reference point across speech and language, motor skills, social-emotional, cognitive, and adaptive domains

Direct observation, one-on-one time with your child in a space built to let us see how they engage, communicate, and problem-solve

A school or home observation when it would help, because many kids look and behave differently at preschool or daycare than in a new environment

A feedback session where we walk through what we saw, what it means, and what we recommend

Screening vs. Full Evaluation

A screening isn’t a diagnostic evaluation. It’s a shorter, focused look at whether your child’s development is on track, where there may be concerns, and whether a full evaluation or specific supports would help. For a lot of families, a screening is all that’s needed. For others, it’s the fastest way to find out whether deeper assessment is worth pursuing.

One practical upside: developmental screenings usually have much shorter wait times than full evaluations. If you’re weighing months on a waitlist against getting real clarity soon, a screening is often the right first step.

What You Leave With

Every screening ends with a feedback session and a written summary that includes our observations, any concerns we identified, and clear recommendations. That might be continued monitoring, a specific therapy like OT or speech-language or play-based therapy, a more comprehensive evaluation, or a referral to a community resource. You won’t walk out wondering what to do.

Developmental Screenings in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley

We offer developmental screenings at our Pasadena location. If you’re in Pasadena, Duarte, the rest of the San Gabriel Valley, or elsewhere in Los Angeles County, we’d welcome you to reach out. A lot of families come to us with a pediatrician’s referral. A lot come on their own concerns. Both paths make sense.

Getting Started

To schedule a developmental screening or ask whether a screening is the right next step, fill out our short intake form. We’ll be in touch to answer questions and get you scheduled.

Our Approach

The scientific lens that informs our work is interpersonal neurobiology, an exciting field of research about the neuroscience of change and of healthy, connected relationships.

Connection First

We know that connected relationships matter and play a role in how our brains and lives change, so that's where we start.

Brain Science-Based

Grounded in interpersonal neurobiology, our approach reflects the latest research on how relationships shape the developing brain.

Personalized Match

Clients are matched to a therapist based on areas of specialty, relational fit, and availability, unless otherwise requested.

Related Services

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

A screening is shorter and focused. It helps us figure out if there are developmental concerns and what to do about them. A full evaluation is longer and more comprehensive, and leads to a formal diagnosis. For many families a screening is all that’s needed. For others, it’s the fastest way to find out if a full evaluation is worth pursuing.

Our developmental screenings are for children ages 2 to 5. For older kids, our psychological testing or comprehensive assessment services are usually a better fit.

Most screenings take one to two sessions, including time with your child, a parent interview, and a feedback session. If a school or home observation would give us a clearer picture, we’ll add that.

Yes. Every screening wraps up with a written summary, including what we observed, any concerns, and specific recommendations for next steps.

A screening usually isn’t enough on its own for an IEP or formal school services. If our findings suggest your child would benefit from school-based supports, we’ll recommend the specific evaluation needed to pursue accommodations.

Developmental screenings typically have much shorter wait times than full evaluations, often just a few weeks. Reach out through our intake form and we’ll get back to you with current availability.

Ready to Get Started?

Click the button below. We're here to help.

How Can We Help?

Choose the path that best describes your needs.