The Use of the Battelle Developmental Inventory in the Prediction of Later Development

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This study was designed to assess the ability of the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) to predict later achievement involving a sample of children with or at-risk for developmental delays. The investigation utilized BDI scores administered annually for one to three years involving children who were one to four years of age. Results were compared to those obtained on the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement-Revised, standard battery (WJR-ACH: Woodcock & Johnson, 1989), which was administered one, two, and three years following the last administration of the BDI. Correlations between earlier BDI and later WJR-ACH scores for three combinations of scales tested generally increased from approximately r = .05 for BDI scores at age 1 to a mean of .72 for BDIs administered at age 3. For ages 3 years and greater, mean correlations remained relatively stable across ages and were also substantial in magnitude (ages 3 to 12 years = .74; range = .40 to .94). Thus, BDI scores from children at or above age 2 years appeared to consistently predict WJR-ACH scores received at ages 6 to 12 years; however, the ability of the BDI to predict later scores on the WJR-ACH was weak when administered to children less than 18 months of age.