A Review of Standardized Developmental Assessment Instruments for Young Children and Their Applicability for Children With Special Needs

This article provides a review of contemporary instruments for the developmental assessment of children aged 0–4 years and their applicability for children with special needs. The issues involved in the developmental assessment of children with special needs are discussed, and, on the basis of these issues, various instruments are then evaluated.

Method: A literature search was carried out for articles about or using standardized developmental assessment instruments for children aged 0–4 years.

Results: Eighteen instruments were found, of which 2 were nonverbal and 2 were designed for motor-impaired children. The instruments varied in terms of their suitability for children with special needs.

Conclusion: The range of instruments is limited, especially for children younger than 2 years of age. Instruments for children with motor or hearing/language impairments are available, but their psychometric properties need to be researched and improved. For children with a visual impairment, no appropriate instrument is currently available.