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Patient interview

How to ask about child development milestones

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Developmental surveillance happens at every well-child visit. Ask about the four areas and listen to parent concerns.

Step by step

  1. Ask about concerns

    "Do you have any concerns about how your child is learning or moving?" [1]

  2. Gross motor

    Holding the head, sitting, walking (most by about 12 to 18 months), running, stairs. [1]

  3. Fine motor

    Grasping, passing objects, pincer grasp, drawing. [1]

  4. Language

    Babbling, first words around 12 months, two-word phrases around 2 years. [1]

  5. Social

    Social smile, eye contact, pointing, pretend play. [1]

  6. Red flags

    Loss of skills already learned, no words by 16 months, no eye contact. [1]

  7. Plan

    Use a validated screening tool and refer early. [2]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

16 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  2. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  3. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations

Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.