Measuring Developmental Delays: Comparison of Parent Report and Direct Testing

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Developmental assessment is crucial for comprehensive autism spectrum disorder (ASD) evaluations.
• In-person evaluations traditionally use direct examiner testing.
• Telehealth evaluations necessitate reliance on caregiver-report instruments for developmental assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the correspondence between caregiver-reported developmental skills and direct testing in young children.
• To validate the use of caregiver-report instruments in telehealth settings for developmental assessment in ASD evaluations.

Main Methods:

• 93 children (18-42 months) evaluated for possible ASD participated.
• Caregivers completed the Developmental Profile, 4th edition (DP-4) via telehealth.
• Children underwent in-person testing with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) 2-4 weeks later.

Main Results:

• High correlations (0.50-0.82) were observed between DP-4 and MSEL scores.
• Correspondence was strong across standard scores, age equivalents, functional categories, subtests, and composite scores.

Conclusions:

• The DP-4 demonstrates high convergent validity with the MSEL.
• The DP-4 serves as a suitable proxy for direct developmental testing in telehealth ASD evaluations.
• Telehealth developmental assessments provide a reliable estimate of functioning and delays in young children.