harddevelopmental assessmentpediatric milestonesjoint attentionautism spectrum disorderprotodeclarative pointinglanguage delay
A mother brings her 30-month-old son to the PMHNP for evaluation because his daycare provider expressed concerns about his development. The mother reports he says about 15 single words but does not combine words into two-word phrases. He does not point to objects to share interest, rarely makes eye contact, and lines up his toy cars repetitively rather than engaging in pretend play. He follows simple one-step commands inconsistently. The PMHNP is assessing whether his development falls within expected parameters. Which assessment finding is MOST concerning for a developmental disorder?