Development of a screening tool for detecting developmental disabilities and at-risk conditions in younger children is described. Data obtained from this tool are correlated with two other widely used screening instruments. Future research should continue to explore the interrelationship of items on screening instruments to obtain valid and…

This project makes training and technical help available to communities to screen preschool children, locate high-risk children, and direct families to existing services or develop local community services for handicapped children and their families. It provides participating families with information on childhood development and the need to…

Thirty French-speaking Quebec preschoolers were administered translated versions of the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Discussion focuses on aspects of translation and content requiring further modification, and on issues regarding use of translated…

To help physicians select appropriate screening tests for early childhood identification of developmental disabilities, 19 screening tests were administered by a pediatrician and rated by a panel of pediatricians and a special educator. Five of the tests were identified that approached standards for educational and psychological tests. (TJH)

The reasons for using tests in early childhood programs are (1) to increase teachers' confidence in their role performance; (2) to explain and defend early childhood programs; (3) to promote consistency across programs; (4) to provide curriculum and instruction guidance to teachers; and (5) to focus teachers and parents on the more measurable…

An ecologically-based model is offered to guide the assessment activities of school psychologists at the preschool level. The uniqueness of the preschool population, the multidimensional structure of the assessment process, and the connection between assessment results and the intervention strategies are emphasized. (Author/LMO)

The last decade has seen an increase of interest in early identification of children with potential learning and behavior problems. In the present report, the purposes of early screening are delineated and selected arguments against preschool identification and intervention programs described. Arguments favoring the early screening of preschoolers…

The validity of using the Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test (RDDST) was investigated by testing 199 preschool children (ages 3-4) and reviewing the results 6 months later. Results indicated that the RDDST was an efficient prognostic tool in predicting formal assessment results for children at risk for language impairments. (CR)

Two measures used for early detection of learning problems (Preschool Screening System and Denver Articulation Screening Exam) were tested for their predictive validity. Educational placement at the end of grade one was examined and compared to pre-kindergarten test scores on the two measures. Analysis found both measures to be valid. (Author/MSE)

The Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic Edition and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were subjected to multitrait-multimethod analysis with 40 randomly selected preschoolers. Difficulties in the areas of convergent validity and profile interpretations of functioning were found. (TJH)

Aims to foster scrupulous use of the "at-risk" label for young children by advocating clarification of the term. Proposes caveats educators should consider before applying the label. Among these are (1) risk is not static; (2) standardized test scores are not effective predictors of risk for young children; and (3) children develop in an…