Assessment Tools for Infants & Toddlers

Advancements in medical science and public awareness of the importance of child development have led to better screening and care for infants and toddlers. If you are a parent who is observing signs of lacking skills, slow development or behaviors in your child that concern you, there are numerous resources and tools to help you get a better picture on what is--or isn't--happening with your baby. Health care professionals have several tests at their disposal to test and understand your child. As a parent, it helps to understand what to expect and what information each tool gives.

Ages and Stages Questionnaire

• The Ages and Stages Questionnaire screens for developmental delays from ages 4 to 60 months. Parents complete a 30-item list of questions at specified intervals for the entire first five years of their children's lives. Questions target information that can flag and measure developmental delays or limitations in communication, motor skills, problem solving and inter-personal and social capabilities. Parents can self-administer and score the 10- to 20-minute test, which can make it a low-cost alternative to other screening tools. Parent scoring can often match professionally administered tests 83 percent of the time. The major disadvantage is the test is completely based on parent observation and reporting--it has no unbiased clinical components.

Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II)

• Children as young as one month and as old as six years can undergo the Denver Development Screening Test II (DDST-II) to check for developmental problems and to see if interventions or treatments are working. The test is commonly used with at-risk children such as severely premature babies. Professionals including psychologists, physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, and social workers can administer the assessment which involves both performance and parent reporting components. The test examines children's fine motor-adaptive, gross motor, personal-social, and language skills. The examiner then cross-references the scores against those typical to the child's age to see if the child meets, exceeds, or falls below expected norms. DDST-II has a 90 percent accurate retest rate and was formulated using culturally diverse test subjects.

Bayley Neurodevelopmental Screen

• The Bayley Neurodevelopmental Screen (BINS) is designed specifically for ages 3 to 24 months. This product of the American Psychological Corporation is focused on direct observation of primarily physical factors such as muscle tone, reflexes and symmetry of movement. It also cares about concrete accomplishments such as language development and ability to imitate. Trained professionals including psychologists, occupational therapists, and pediatricians perform and score the BINS.

Child Development Inventories

• Child Development Inventories, sometimes called Child Development Review combines a parent-based reporting system with the expertise of a professional such as a child psychologist, pediatrician, social worker or other developmental specialist. Parents answer 26 checklists and six open-ended questions. They then complete a 99 item inventory of their child's behaviors and skills which examines a variety of key developmental factors. Professionals then use the information from the answers and inventory to guide them in an independent clinical assessment of the child. This tool supports professionals, helping them gain insight and collect information efficiently. Final assessments come from the professional, not the assessment tool. Child Development Inventories are designed for children ages 3 to 72 months.