Validity and reliability of the developmental assessment screening scale.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Early developmental screening is crucial for identifying potential concerns in children.
• Existing screening tools may not adequately cover the school-age population.
• The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a widely used developmental screening tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the 6-year Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) for school-age children.
• To assess the reliability, validity, and utility of the 6-year ASQ.
• To provide a screening tool for children aged 66-78 months.

Main Methods:

• Recruited parents/caregivers of children aged 66-78 months from diverse international and US locations.
• Administered a 30-item, 5-domain 6-year ASQ, assessing internal consistency, test-retest reliability, scale structure, validity, and utility.
• Utilized statistical analyses including coefficient alpha, intraclass correlation, and factor analysis.

Main Results:

• The 6-year ASQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency (coefficient alpha = 0.97) and robust test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.94).
• Factor analysis confirmed a five-factor structure, with moderate to large, significant correlations between latent variables (P < 0.0001).
• Mean administration time was 15.17 minutes, and general utility was high among caregivers and professionals.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary data indicate the 6-year ASQ is a promising, easy-to-administer, and accurate screening tool.
• This validated tool has the potential to increase the frequency of developmental screening for school-age children.
• The 6-year ASQ supports timely identification of developmental needs in early school years.