The KIDS chart. A simple, reliable infant development screening tool

Area of Science:

• Pediatric developmental assessment
• Infant screening tools
• Child development monitoring

Background:

• Early identification of developmental delays is crucial for timely intervention.
• Existing screening tools may vary in sensitivity, reliability, and ease of use.
• A need exists for a simple, accurate, and understandable infant development screening tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Kansas Infant Development Screen (KIDS).
• To assess the sensitivity, reliability, and clinical utility of the KIDS tool.
• To provide a developmental screening method easily understood by professionals and parents.

Main Methods:

• The Kansas Infant Development Screen (KIDS) was developed and administered.
• Validity was assessed by correlating KIDS results with chronological age in normal infants.
• KIDS results for infants with developmental delays were compared against a detailed evaluation (Michigan Developmental Programming for Infants and Young Children).
• Interobserver reliability was evaluated across five different pediatric settings.

Main Results:

• A very high correlation (r = .986) was found between developmental and chronological age in 111 normal infants.
• A high correlation (r = .979) was observed when comparing KIDS results with a detailed evaluation in 96 infants with developmental delays.
• Interobserver reliability demonstrated high correlations (r = .997) across different pediatric settings.
• The KIDS tool proved to be sensitive and reliable.

Conclusions:

• The Kansas Infant Development Screen (KIDS) is a sensitive and reliable tool for infant development screening.
• Its simplicity and brief administration time make it practical for pediatric settings.
• KIDS effectively aids in monitoring both normal and delayed infant development for professionals and parents.