Developmental screening using parent report

The need for comprehensive screening of pediatric populations to identify potential development problems is widely accepted. The lack of systematic screening in pediatric practice is due to several factors, including the need for an efficient, reliable instrument and the limited professional time available for screening. The present study compares the effectiveness of a screening instrument, the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, with an individually administered psychological test, the McCarthy Scales of Child Development. Because the former uses a parent report format, little professional time is involved in screening. The Minnesota and McCarthy were administered to 364 children who were within 1 month of their third birthday. Four of five Minnesota scores correlated significantly (p less than 0.0001) with each of the six McCarthy subscores. The Minnesota appears to be an efficient, valid test that would facilitate comprehensive screening in a pediatric population.