Validation of developmental assessment tool for Anganwadis (DATA).

OBJECTIVE: To develop, standardize, and partly validate a developmental scale for toddlers (age, 1.6 to 3 years) attending anganwadis in India. METHODS: After the development of the 12-item Developmental Assessment Tool for Anganwadis (DATA), its internal consistency, face validity, content validity and construct validity were studied in 100 toddlers in anganwadis and were found to be appropriate. A total of 429 toddlers with a mean (SD) age of 30.9(5.2) months from 36 randomly selected anganwadis were recruited for its standardization. Raw scores were converted to standardized T-scores. Scoring pattern for domains and aggregate developmental scores were formulated. RESULTS: Except for one item in the original scale, all the items were endorsed by parents suggesting a good content validity. Cronbachs a of 0.86 suggested a high internal consistency. Factor analysis replicated the 2 factor structure explaining 56 %of variance. An aggregated developmental score based on the standardized T-scores demonstrated that a DATA score between 33 and 28 suggested at risk for developing developmental delays. A score of 27 suggested already delayed milestones. A score of 27 to 16 suggested a mild delay, a score of 15 to 5 suggested a moderate delay and 4 suggested a severe delay in development. CONCLUSION: DATA is a brief, simple and psychometrically sound measure for use in anganwadis for identifying toddlers at risk or with developmental delays. Differentially identifying toddlers at risk or with developmental delay helps in referring them for appropriate interventions.

CDC Kerala 15: Developmental Evaluation Clinic (2-10 y)--developmental diagnosis and use of home intervention package.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the last 5 years' experience of Child Development Centre (CDC), Kerala Developmental Evaluation Clinic II for children between 2 and 10 y, referred for suspicion of developmental lag in the preschool years and scholastic difficulty in the primary classes with specific focus on developmental profile and the experience of the home based intervention package taught to the mothers. METHODS: A team of evaluators including developmental therapist, preschool teacher with special training in clinical child development, speech therapist, special educator, clinical psychologist and developmental pediatrician assessed all the children referred to CDC Kerala. Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II), Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Intelligent Quotient (IQ) tests were administered to all children below 6 y and those above 6 with apparent developmental delay. RESULTS: Speech/delay (35.9%), behavior problem (15.4%), global delay/ intellectual disability (15.4%), learning problem (10.9%), pervasive developmental disorders (7.7%), seizure disorder (1.7%), hearing impairment (0.7%), and visual impairment (0.7%) were the clinical diagnosis by a developmental pediatrician. Each child with developmental problem was offered a home based intervention package consisting of developmental therapy and special education items, appropriate to the clinical diagnosis of the individual child and the same was taught to the mother. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of conducting the developmental evaluation clinic for children between 2 and 10 y has shown that a team consisting of developmental therapist, speech therapist, preschool teacher, special educator, clinical child psychologist and developmental pediatrician, using appropriate test results of the child could make a clinical diagnosis good enough for providing early intervention therapy using a home based intervention package.