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. 2025 Mar;67(3):286-306.
doi: 10.1111/dmcn.16076. Epub 2024 Sep 16.

Clinical utility and psychometric properties of tools for early detection of developmental concerns and disability in young children: A scoping review

Andrea Burgess  1 , Carly Luke  1 , Michelle Jackman  1   2 , Jane Wotherspoon  1 , Koa Whittingham  1 , Katherine Benfer  1 , Sarah Goodman  1 , Rebecca Caesar  3 , Tiffney Nesakumar  1 , Samudragupta Bora  4   5 , David Honeyman  6 , Danielle Copplin  1 , Sarah Reedman  1 , John Cairney  7 , Natasha Reid  8 , Leanne Sakzewski  1 , Roslyn N Boyd  1
Affiliations

Clinical utility and psychometric properties of tools for early detection of developmental concerns and disability in young children: A scoping review

Andrea Burgess et al. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the clinical utility and psychometric properties of standardized tools for the early detection of developmental concerns or disability in young children.

Method: Systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines containing psychometric data on tools appropriate for use with children from birth to 5 years 11 months were searched for in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO for the years 2000 to 2023, with no language restrictions.

Results: Eighty-six systematic reviews and six clinical practice guidelines guided identification of tools. A total of 246 tools were identified across domains of neurological, motor, cognition, communication/language, social-emotional, sensory processing, and/or specific diagnostic conditions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. After critical evaluation, 67 tools were included in the recommendations. Recommendations for screening and diagnostic assessment tools were based on best available evidence for predictive and discriminative validity, diagnostic accuracy, together with consideration of resource use and accessibility.

Interpretation: This comprehensive scoping review provides recommendations on the best tools for primary care, medical, allied health professionals, nursing, and other health workers to detect and identify developmental concerns or disability in young children using evidence-based tools.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have stated that they had no interests that might be perceived as posing a conflict or bias.

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