Anticipatory Guidance Provider Guide

Parent and Child Anticipatory Guidance and Health Education for Texas Health Steps Checkups

About Anticipatory Guidance

Anticipatory guidance is a federally mandated component of each Texas Health Steps medical and dental checkup. Education and counseling provided during a medical checkup help the child and parent or guardian understand expected growth and development.

Anticipatory guidance also serves to provide information about the benefits of healthy lifestyles and practices and accident and disease prevention.

Providers are not expected to address all the possible age-appropriate topics during a checkup. The guide is meant to support clinicians in providing education and guidance based on patients' individual needs. We encourage you to individualize and prioritize the topics according to checkup findings and questions or concerns raised by the child and parent or guardian.

The topics in this guide are consistent with those included on the Texas Health Steps Clinical Record Forms, which are recommended but not required for use by Texas Health Steps providers.