Denver developmental activities: a preliminary report

A study was undertaken to develop activity sheets that can be given to parents at the time of child health maintenance visits. A series of 200 activities for parents to undertake with their children were arranged into 11 age groups and four areas: self-care and socialization, speech, small muscle skills, and large muscle skills. A national field test involved 53 private and public practices already using a parent-answered developmental questionnaire. The practices gave the Denver Developmental Activities and survey questionnaires to parents, and completed professional survey questionnaires. Fifty-one professional questionnaires and 79 parent questionnaires were returned. The professionals liked the Activities and did not feel that they slowed their practices. Parents found the Activities enjoyable and easy to understand. Less educated parents reported that the Activities increased their knowledge and prompted them to discuss child development issues with their child's health provider. This survey is considered preliminary, since it was limited to health practices already manifesting interest in child development, and it is not known what percent of parent questionnaires were returned. The latter point precludes one from making generalizations to a larger population.