Early diagnosis and referral of children with developmental disabilities.

Recent legislation has created a national program for providing early intervention, including identification, remediation and counseling, for children with developmental disabilities. Providing such services requires interaction between early childhood intervention professionals and primary care physicians in an unprecedented manner. Family physicians and other primary care professionals can identify at-risk children at an early stage. The physician's knowledge of the family can be crucial in the successful delivery of high-quality medical care to this population. This article describes a practical, four-stage approach to primary care participation in the identification, referral and follow-up of developmentally delayed and handicapped children.