SYRACUSE, N.Y. — During the first year and a half of her son’s life, Valerie Gregory did everything she could to help him thrive: She read to him, talked to him, showed up for wellness checks, and whenever possible took him to a weekly playgroup, where both mother and son had the chance to socialize with peers.
At one of these gatherings, organizers brought along a standardized developmental questionnaire that helps gauge if children are hitting rough milestones for their age, like making eye contact, sitting up and waving goodbye.
Despite regular visits to the pediatrician’s office, Gregory had never before seen the screener. What she ultimately learned caught her off guard…