Use of the Denver Developmental Screening Test has raised various concerns: the applicability of 1967 norms in the 1990s and onwards, the difficulty of administering and scoring several of the test’s language items, and the limited validity in cultures that differ from the normative sample in Denver (ethnic groups, varying levels of maternal education, groups with differing genders), potentially leading to under- or over-referrals for mental health services. As the first tool used for developmental screening in normal situations like pediatric well-child care, the test became widely known and was used in 54 countries and standardized in 15. The Denver Developmental Screening Test was developed in Denver, Colorado, by Frankenburg and Dodds and published in 1967.

However, the AAP does not approve nor endorse any specific tool for screening purposes, but rather endorses the use of any formal, validated screening tool, such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire or others provided by the US Human Health and Services Department.

The AAP also recommends screening children for autism spectrum disorder during well-child visits at 18 and 24 months of age. Other tools, for example the Age and Stages Questionnaires, depend on parent report.Īs of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends developmental and behavioral screening for all children during regular well-child visits at 9, 18, and 30 months of age. This is a strength if parents communicate poorly or are poor observers or reporters. Both tests differ from other common developmental screening tests in that the examiner directly tests the child. They are meant to be used by medical assistants or other trained workers in programs serving children. The tests address four domains of child development: personal-social (for example, waves bye-bye), fine motor and adaptive (puts block in cup), language (combines words), and gross motor (hops). By comparing a child’s development to the developmental age ranges in this tool, it allows providers to identify young children with developmental problems so that they can be referred for help. These screening tests provide information about a range of ages during which normally developing children acquire certain abilities and skills. A revised version, Denver II, was released in 1992 to provide needed improvements.

The Denver Developmental Screening Test ( DDST) was introduced in 1967 to identify young children, up to age six, with developmental problems. Identify young children with developmental issues

Denver developmental screening test