Baby · Development

PEDS — Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status

PEDS Tool (Glascoe 1998, revised 2016) — fastest validated developmental screen, asking 10 parent concern-based questions in under 2 minutes. AAP Bright Futures and CDC ACT Early validated tool. Sensitivity 85 %, specificity 80 %.

Last reviewed 25 May 2026

PEDS — Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status

10-question parent concern-based screen

About this page

PEDS is a copyright-protected commercial instrument from PEDSTest.com — we describe the framework but do not reproduce items. The official PEDS is required for clinical use.

pedstest.com

Predictive concern categories (8)

Concerns in these categories statistically predict developmental difficulties.

Cognitive / development

Concerns about how the child is learning, reasoning, paying attention.

Expressive language

Concerns about words used, sentences, articulation.

Receptive language

Concerns about understanding what is said.

Fine motor

Concerns about hand skills, drawing, manipulation.

Gross motor

Concerns about walking, running, climbing, balance.

Behaviour

Concerns about social, emotional, behavioural functioning.

Self-help

Concerns about feeding, dressing, toileting.

School

For older children — concerns about school performance.

Non-predictive categories (2)

Concerns in these categories don’t generally predict developmental issues.

Health

Medical concerns (these typically don't predict developmental issues).

Other

Anything else.

Algorithm outputs

Path A — HIGH risk

≥ 2 predictive concerns → refer for diagnostic evaluation.

Path B — MEDIUM risk

1 predictive concern → administer a second-stage developmental screen (ASQ-3, M-CHAT-R).

Path C — non-predictive only

Counseling and reassurance; routine developmental surveillance.

Path D — no concerns

Routine surveillance; rescreen at next visit.

Educational tool only — not medical advice. PEDS (Glascoe 1998, revised 2016) is the fastest validated developmental screen (< 2 minutes). Sensitivity 85 %, specificity 80 %, test-retest reliability 0.98. AAP Bright Futures and CDC ACT Early validated tool list both include PEDS. Best used as part of a screening + surveillance combination — pairs well with the CDC LTSAE milestone tracker for ongoing surveillance.
What does this mean?
PEDS (Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status, Glascoe 1998) takes a different angle from ASQ-3: it asks parents about their concerns in 10 categories (cognitive, language, motor, behaviour, etc.) rather than milestone-based items. Research shows parental concerns are a strong predictor of actual developmental delay — parents notice things before formal testing flags them. Performance: ~85 % sensitivity, ~80 % specificity, and it’s very fast (< 2 minutes). Categorising parent concerns into “predictive” (high risk → refer for evaluation) and “non-predictive” (educate, monitor) guides the visit. PEDS is widely used in AAP Bright Futures well-child checks alongside ASQ-3 and the CDC LTSAE milestone tracker. Together: PEDS captures parent intuition + ASQ-3 captures structured milestone status + LTSAE supports ongoing surveillance between formal screens.

Introduction

PEDS — Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status — is a 10-question parent concern-based developmental screen developed by Frances Glascoe (1998, revised 2016). The fastest validated developmental screen at < 2 minutes, validated for ages 0-8 years, AAP Bright Futures-endorsed.

How PEDS works

Parents are asked whether they have concerns about their child’s development across 10 categories. Concerns are classified as PREDICTIVE (statistically associated with developmental difficulties) or NON-PREDICTIVE (don’t generally predict developmental issues).

The 8 predictive categories

  • Cognitive / development
  • Expressive language
  • Receptive language
  • Fine motor
  • Gross motor
  • Behaviour
  • Self-help
  • School (older children)

The 4 algorithm paths

  • Path A — ≥ 2 predictive concerns → HIGH risk; refer for diagnostic evaluation.
  • Path B — 1 predictive concern → MEDIUM risk; administer a second-stage developmental screen (ASQ-3, M-CHAT-R).
  • Path C — non-predictive concerns only → address concerns + routine surveillance.
  • Path D — no concerns → routine surveillance.

Performance

  • Sensitivity 85 %.
  • Specificity 80 %.
  • Test-retest reliability 0.98.
  • Validated in 30+ languages and many cultural contexts.

Where PEDS fits

  • First-stage primary-care screening — quick, concern-based; flags families needing deeper assessment.
  • Combined with ASQ-3 — PEDS for speed, ASQ-3 for granular milestone detail.
  • Combined with M-CHAT-R — for autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months.
  • State Early Intervention — used in many US state Part C eligibility pathways.

Limitations

  • Dependent on parental concern recognition; some parents under-report.
  • Less granular than milestone-based tools.
  • Commercial — requires purchase / licence for clinical use.
  • Educational only — actual screening should be performed by a healthcare team.

Sources

  • Glascoe FP. Collaborating With Parents: Using Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status to Detect and Address Developmental and Behavioural Problems. Ellsworth & Vandermeer Press 1998 (1st ed.), 2016 (revised).
  • Glascoe FP. Parents’ concerns about children’s development: prescreening technique or screening test? Pediatrics 1997;99:522-8.
  • AAP. Bright Futures Periodicity Schedule.
  • CDC. Learn The Signs. Act Early. — Validated developmental screening tools list.

Frequently asked questions

What is PEDS?
Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status — a 10-question parent concern-based developmental screen developed by Frances Glascoe (1998, revised 2016). Asks parents what concerns they have about their child's development across 10 categories. The fastest validated developmental screen — under 2 minutes to complete. Validated for ages 0-8 years. AAP Bright Futures and CDC ACT Early list PEDS as a validated screening instrument.
How does PEDS differ from ASQ-3?
PEDS asks about PARENTAL CONCERNS (open-ended); ASQ-3 asks about specific DEVELOPMENTAL BEHAVIOURS the child does or doesn't do (closed-ended). PEDS is faster (< 2 minutes vs 10-15 for ASQ-3). PEDS is concern-driven; ASQ-3 is milestone-driven. Both validated; AAP accepts either. Many practices use PEDS as a first-stage screen, then ASQ-3 as a second-stage when PEDS flags concerns.
How is PEDS scored?
Concerns are categorised as either PREDICTIVE (cognitive/development, expressive language, receptive language, fine motor, gross motor, behaviour, self-help, school) or NON-PREDICTIVE (health, other). Path A (HIGH risk, ≥ 2 predictive concerns): refer for diagnostic evaluation. Path B (MEDIUM, 1 predictive concern): administer second-stage screen. Path C (only non-predictive concerns): counseling and surveillance. Path D (no concerns): routine surveillance.
How accurate is it?
Sensitivity 85 %, specificity 80 %, test-retest reliability 0.98 (Glascoe 1997). Performs comparably to ASQ-3 for identifying children with developmental delays despite being much shorter. The high sensitivity is impressive given the brevity — when parents have specific developmental concerns, they tend to be on to something.
When is PEDS used?
Universal screening at AAP-recommended well-child visit ages (9, 18, 30 months minimum, often more frequent in primary care). Can be used at any visit. Many practices use it at EVERY well-child visit because it's so quick. Particularly valuable in busy primary-care settings where 15-minute ASQ-3 administration may not fit. Used by many state Early Intervention programs and some Medicaid coverage screening pathways.
What if PEDS flags concerns?
Path A (≥ 2 predictive concerns): direct referral for diagnostic evaluation (developmental paediatrician, paediatric neurologist, developmental psychologist), plus referral to Early Intervention (US Part C of IDEA, under-3s) or equivalent. Path B (1 predictive concern): administer ASQ-3 or M-CHAT-R as second-stage screen. Path C (only non-predictive): address the specific concern (health visit, counseling, reassurance) and continue routine surveillance.
Is PEDS valid across cultures?
Reasonably. Translated into 30+ languages with validation in many cultural contexts. The concern-based design is particularly portable — asking 'what concerns do you have?' captures parent-perceived issues regardless of cultural milestone variations. Some cultural settings under-report parental concerns (deference to clinicians) which can reduce sensitivity; trained clinicians compensate by probing.
Where can I access PEDS?
PEDS is a copyright-protected product of PEDSTest.com / Glascoe. Available for purchase at pedstest.com. Site licences available for healthcare systems. Some U.S. state Early Intervention programs distribute it. The web-based PEDS:Developmental Milestones combines PEDS with the M-CHAT-R for autism screening.

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