The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides guidance for pediatricians in a clinical report, "Genetic Evaluation of the Child With Intellectual Disability or Global Developmental Delay," published in the July 2025
Pediatrics.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are the most common chronic medical condition in pediatrics, according to the AAP.
How genetic testing & early diagnosis can help children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Establishing a genetic diagnosis early is critical, the AAP states, because it determines the risk of developing certain diseases long before symptoms even appear.
The AAP says genetic evaluation can:
inform the type of treatments the child may need,
reduce further unnecessary diagnostic testing, and
allow access to developmental therapies, services and support.
Clinical reports created by AAP are written by medical experts and reflect the latest evidence in the field. They go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.