ASHA Statement on CDC's Updated Developmental Milestones
On November 1, 2023, ASHA issued new developmental milestones in the areas of communication (hearing, speech, and language) and feeding and swallowing for children ages birth to 5 years. View the press release.
February 21, 2022
ASHA is in the process of analyzing the recent revisions to the developmental milestones used in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Learn the Signs. Act Early" initiative. This process includes a comprehensive comparison of the previous vs. new guidelines, as well as a comparison to ASHA-specified milestones. ASHA is also conducting an extensive review of published scientific literature.
ASHA has reached out to CDC, expressing its concern about inconsistencies and urging the agency to utilize the expertise of SLPs when making changes to developmental milestones in speech, language, feeding, and social communication. In general, ASHA is supportive of efforts to help identify children earlier, but the milestones presented to parents must be evidence-based in order for families to make well-informed decisions about their children's care.
ASHA will provide members with an update once its review process is completed and correlating action steps are determined.
