The following information was provided by:
Barbara W. Kilbourne, R.N., M.P.H.
Senior Program Management Officer
National Center on Birth Defects
and Developmental Disabilities

"Learn the Signs. Act Early." is a new public awareness campaign launched by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners to increase the understanding of developmental milestones and the importance of acting early when a possible delay is noticed. The earlier a child with a developmental delay receives appropriate assessment and intervention, the more likely the child is to reach full potential.

For Health Care Professionals

To help prepare the health care community for the anticipated increase in questions and requests for information from parents, CDC has developed a Provider Resource Kit. This kit contains materials to help health care professionals communicate with parents about childhood development. Materials, available in English and in Spanish, include: exam room posters, informational cards for waiting room displays, fact sheets on age-specific developmental milestones and developmental disorders, as well as other resources. Please visit the campaign website at www.cdc.gov/actearly to view the campaign resources designed for health care professionals – you can download them from the website or order materials to be mailed to your office at no charge to you.

For Parents of Young Children

Most parents don’t know about developmental milestones. They don’t know when a child should be making eye contact, recognizing and interacting with objects or beginning to imitate words or actions. They simply don’t have the basic information that would allow them to recognize the early signs of a developmental disorder and empower them to act. The “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign aims to help parents identify possible developmental delays and encourage them to discuss concerns with their child’s health care professional. In addition to offering a series of public service announcements (PSAs), the campaign offers a Parent Kit to those who visit the website at www.cdc.gov/actearly or call the toll-free hotline 1-800-CDC-INFO. This kit contains materials in English and Spanish, including: an informational card with developmental milestones and questions to ask their child’s health care professional, fact sheets on developmental milestones and a growth chart (to be hung on the wall to measure growth and prompt parents to think about corresponding developmental milestones).

For Campaign Champions at the Local Level

For those individuals and organizations who would like to support the campaign by carrying its messages to their local communities, we have a variety of resources to help you. First, you can join our growing list of campaign supporters by contacting our email address, actearly@porternovelli.com, and requesting to get campaign updates as they come out. In addition, you can download or order any of the materials listed above from either the website or via the toll-free number and distribute them in your community. Finally, by emailing the campaign address above, you can request one of our training kits to assist you in working with local media to secure placement of campaign PSAs – and you can even tag them with your organization’s name and phone number. We welcome your help in reaching parents in every community, starting with yours. You can make sure that parents in your community know how to "Learn the Signs. Act Early."

CDC would like to recognize its campaign partners, including: the American Academy of Pediatrics, Autism Coalition, Autism Society of America, Cure Autism Now, First Signs, National Alliance for Autism Research, and the Organization for Autism Research.