Parent Report Instrument Research Articles

Exploring cascading effects of sensory processing on language skills and social-communicative difficulties through play in young children at elevated likelihood for autism.

This study investigated the association between Sensory processing (SP) (i.e., hyporesponsiveness, Sensory Seeking (SS) and hyperresponsiveness) at 10months (M) and language/social-communicative difficulties at 24M, mediated through object play at 14M in young children at elevated likelihood for autism (EL). Parent-report instruments were used to measure all variables in younger siblings of children with autism (siblings, n=74) and children born before 30 gestational weeks (preterms, n=38). Higher scores of object play fully mediated the association between more SS and better language/less social-communicative difficulties. Hypo- and hyperresponsiveness at 10M did not seem to predict language heterogeneity at 24M, but more hypo- and less hyperresponsiveness at 10M were associated with more social-communicative difficulties at 24M. The explained variance in social-communicative difficulties and language was limited (15.25%-16.39%). Similar associations were found for siblings and preterms. This highlights that high frequency of SP behaviors does not necessarily negatively affect communication in young EL-children as is commonly assumed. Early object play skills play a role in the association between early SS and later language/social communicative difficulties. This implies that some criteria of the two core domains of characteristics of autism are interrelated in EL-children, and this may have implications for early intervention programs.

Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) in a Low-Income Spanish-Speaking Population in Guayaquil (Ecuador).

The original version of the ADEC was translated and culturally and linguistically adapted to the characteristics of the population of Guayaquil (Ecuador). A pilot study was conducted with a sample of 613 children aged 18-48 months. Cronbach's alpha values (0.89) indicate high internal consistency. The correlation between the MCHAT-R/F follow-up interview and the ADEC (mean r = 0.93) indicates high construct validity. In terms of predictive validity, using the original cut-off points of the ADEC, they show excellent diagnostic ability. The sensitivity and specificity results (sensitivity 1.00; specificity 0.92; positive predictive value 0.83; negative predictive value 0.99) are even better than those obtained in a similar study in the Mexican population. Considering that the MCHAT R/F is a parent-reported instrument, the Guayaquil Spanish version of the ADEC (ADEC-GU) seems to be a suitable instrument to be used in a complementary way as a second-level screening instrument for autism, before resorting to a full diagnostic process.

Gender diversity is correlated with dimensional neurodivergent traits but not categorical neurodevelopmental diagnoses in children.

Gender clinic and single-item questionnaire-based data report increased co-occurrence of gender diversity and neurodevelopmental conditions. The nuances of these associations are under-studied. We used a transdiagnostic approach, combining categorical and dimensional characterization of neurodiversity, to further the understanding of its associations with gender diversity in identity and expression in children. Data from 291 children (Autism N = 104, ADHD N = 104, Autism + ADHD N = 17, neurotypical N = 66) aged 4-12 years enrolled in the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Network were analyzed. Gender diversity was measured multi-dimensionally using a well-validated parent-report instrument, the Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children (GIQC). We used gamma regression models to determine the significant correlates of gender diversity among age, puberty, sex-assigned-at-birth, categorical neurodevelopmental diagnoses, and dimensional neurodivergent traits (using the Social Communication Questionnaire and the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scales). Internalizing and externalizing problems were included as covariates. Neither a categorical diagnosis of autism nor ADHD significantly correlated with current GIQC-derived scores. Instead, higher early-childhood dimensional autistic social-communication traits correlated with higher current overall gender incongruence (as defined by GIQC-14 score). This correlation was potentially moderated by sex-assigned-at-birth: greater early-childhood autistic social-communication traits were associated with higher current overall gender incongruence in assigned-males-at-birth, but not assigned-females-at-birth. For fine-grained gender diversity domains, greater autistic restricted-repetitive behavior traits were associated with greater diversity in gender identity across sexes-assigned-at-birth; greater autistic social-communication traits were associated with lower stereotypical male expression across sexes-assigned-at-birth. Dimensional autistic traits, rather than ADHD traits or categorical neurodevelopmental diagnoses, were associated with gender diversity domains across neurodivergent and neurotypical children. The association between early-childhood autistic social-communication traits and overall current gender diversity was most evident in assigned-males-at-birth. Nuanced interrelationships between neurodivergence and gender diversity should be better understood to clarify developmental links and to offer tailored support for neurodivergent and gender-diverse populations.

Bifactor models of psychopathology using multi-informant and multi-instrument dimensional measures in the ABCD study.

Due to limitations of categorical definitions of mental illness, there is a need for quantitative empirical investigations of the dimensional structure of psychopathology. Using exploratory bifactor methods, this study investigated a comprehensive and representative structure of psychopathology in children to better understand how psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward and punishment, may be integrated into extant general factor models of psychopathology. We used seven child-report and three parent-report instruments capturing diverse mental health symptoms in 11,185 children aged 9-10 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study. We built on previous modeling frameworks by conducting both split sample and full sample factor analytic approaches that harnessed recent methodological advances in bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (B-ESEM) to examine a wide range of psychopathology measures not previously integrated into a single analysis. Validity of psychopathology dimensions was examined by investigating associations with sex, age, cognition, imaging measures, and medical service usage. All four factor analytic models showed excellent fit and similar structure within informant. PLEs loaded most highly onto a general psychopathology factor, suggesting that they may reflect non-specific risk for mental illness. ASD symptoms loaded separately from attention/hyperactivity symptoms. Symptoms of impulsivity and sensitivity to reward and punishment loaded onto specific factors, distinct from externalizing and internalizing factors. All identified factors were associated with clinically relevant risk factors, providing preliminary evidence for their construct validity. By integrating diverse child-report and parent-report psychopathology measures for children in the ABCD sample, we deliver data on the quantitative structure of psychopathology for an exceptionally large set of measurements and discuss implications for the field.

Pediatrician and parental evaluation of child neurodevelopment at 2 years of age

BackgroundThe early identification of infants with a risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in the first few years of life is essential for better developmental outcomes. Screenings should be carried out by combining the family pediatricians’ and parents’ perspectives, the two fundamental sources of information on children’s health. The present study has three aims: (a) to test the feasibility of parent-report instruments to detect warning signs in their children’s development; (b) to ascertain whether there is an agreement between the family pediatricians’ (FP) clinical judgments of warning signs and the parental perceptions; (c) to determine whether there is a link between parents’ distress and child development.MethodsWithin the NASCITA birth cohort, in addition to the family pediatrician’s clinical evaluation with routine tools, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) was completed by parents to assess the child’s language, social skills, behavior, and sensory areas. Parents were also asked to complete the Parenting Stress Index, Short Form (PSI-SF) to verify the magnitude of stress in the parent-child system. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the association between child and parental characteristics and the presence of warning signs.ResultsThe follow-up assessment was completed for 435 infants: 69 (15.8%) presented warning signs: 43 in the pediatrician’s assessment and 36 in the M-CHAT-R (10 in both). A total of 16 children (14 with warning signs) received a diagnosis after a specialist evaluation. Being male (OR 2.46, 95%CI: 1.23–4.91) and having sleep disorders (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.17–5.04) was associated with a greater likelihood of warning signs in the multivariate analysis, while reading aloud was a protective factor (not exposed versus exposed (OR = 3.14; 95% CI 1.60–6.17). For 73 children (18.4%), at least one parent tested positive for PSI-SF. An increased prevalence of parental distress was observed in children with warning signs (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.27–4.37).ConclusionsIntegrating physician and parental perspectives during well-child visits and in clinical practice appears feasible and can improve the identification of children at risk of developmental disorders.

Using Parent Report to Measure Vocabulary in Young Bilingual Children: A Scoping Review.

A large number of children are exposed to more than one language. One well-established method of assessing early vocabulary development in monolingual children is parent report; however, its use in bilingual/multilingual contexts is less established and brings unique challenges. In this methodological scoping review, we reviewed studies of early vocabulary development using parent report with bilingual/multilingual children (January 1980-March 2022). A total of 576 articles were screened, yielding 101 studies for analysis. The number of studies on bilingual/multilingual vocabulary has grown in the last two decades; yet representation of the world's languages remains sparse. The majority of studies assessed bilingual/multilingual children's vocabulary in each language and used instruments adapted for linguistic and cultural characteristics. However, the field could benefit from standardized reporting practices regarding definitions of bi/multilingualism, selection of reporters, and tool development and is in critical need of studies that develop, validate, and norm parent report instruments specifically for the bilingual/multilingual case.

115 The Association between Burn Characteristics and Body Image in School-Aged Children years 5 to 12

Abstract Introduction Children ages 5 to 12 are in pivotal stages of psychological development as they become more self-aware. Body image can be a formation of both internal experiences and influences from the surrounding environment. This perceived image adapts during this age group and can be negatively impacted by the changes in physical appearance due to the burn injury. Previous research indicates older age and the presence of larger, visible burns can impact body image and self-esteem in the present and long-term. This study assessed the association between burn characteristics and the child’s ability to maintain positive body image in this age group using a new parent-reported instrument for assessment of child outcomes after burn injury. Methods Preliminary data was obtained from the School-Aged Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE)5-12 study, which is currently in stages of field-testing. Classic test theory methods were used to assess body image items (n = 13) from the Psychological domain. Each item was scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always). Data was recoded for selected items such that higher scores denote better functioning. Multivariate linear regression analyses measured the association between burn injury characteristics and body image (controlling for sex, race and ethnicity, burn injury to critical areas, total body surface area burned (TBSA), and age at survey completion). Mean body image score was calculated. Results Data was obtained from 356 surveys with completed body image items from parents of children with burns. The mean age at survey completion was 8.6 + 2.4 years and mean total body surface area burned (TBSA) was 9.2 + 13.9 with 55% male and 66% white. Items from body image subdomain were identified as a unidimensional scale (α = 0.91, item-total correlations >0.4, ratio of the 1st and 2nd eigenvalues = 4.98). The mean body image score was 3.5 + 0.6. The presence of a foot burn (p = 0.0099), genitalia burn (p = 0.0449) and TBSA >1% (p = 0.0013) resulted in a lower body image score (3.3 + 0.6, 3.1 + 0.8, and 3.4 + 0.7, respectively). In the regression model, age at survey completion was also associated with decreased body image score (β = 0.074, p < 0.0001). Conclusions Parents reported older school-aged burn survivors often had difficulty with body image. Presence of larger burn size and injury to critical areas also worsened body image. Applicability of Research to Practice Burn-care providers and family members can utilize body image score to understand the burn survivor’s current body image satisfaction and assist in fostering positive body image after burn injury through assessment and early intervention.

Internal consistency and concurrent validity of the parental report instrument on language in pre-school-aged children – The Finnish Communicative Development Inventory III

Few studies provide information on the reliability and validity of parental report instruments when assessing the language skills of pre-school–aged children. This study investigates the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the parental report instrument, the Finnish version of the Communicative Development Inventory III (FinCDI III), in children aged between 2;6 and 4;2 years (years;months, N = 155). One main aim was to analyze the validity of the information that parents can provide on different language domains (lexicon, phonology, morpho-syntax, metalinguistic skills) of their pre-school–aged children. In addition, the effect of age and background factors on the results of the FinCDI III was investigated. The FinCDI III was first adapted based on the Swedish version of the CDI III. Information on different language domains was gathered using the FinCDI III and respective tests. The internal consistency of FinCDI III was generally high (for the whole method: α = .91). Correlations between the sub-sections of the FinCDI III and respective test results varied from moderate to high ( r-values = .35–.70, p < .001). A high correlation ( r = .68) was detected between the total score of the FinCD III and that of the formal test focusing on general language competence. Age had a significant effect on the results of FinCDI III. Girls had generally higher FinCDI III scores than boys. The results underline the fact that parents can provide comparable information on the specific language domains of their pre-school–aged children as formal language tests when assessment is targeted to current behavior and when a recognition format is used. Findings broaden and strengthen earlier results regarding the validity of parental estimates on their child’s language, to now encompass older children aged between 2;6 and 4 years.

The development of a parent report instrument of early communication and language skills of infants and toddlers in mainland China.

This study was designed to produce a new parent-report measure, the Diagnostic Receptive Expressive Assessment of Mandarin-Infant Toddler Assessment of Communication and Language (DREAM-IT) in order to provide norms for the developmental skills of children aged 0-36 months in four areas: expressive language, receptive language, cognitive play and social skills. The scale was designed to be both broader and deeper than existing instruments that neglect one or more of these significant domains involved in early language. Items were chosen by a group of specialists with clinical experience working with the age group and with attention to the developmental literature. Caregivers were tested individually by a trained person who asked the questions and provided examples. In addition to an extensive health questionnaire, caregivers answered questions in Mandarin about their child's behaviour using a scale of 'not yet', 'sometimes' or 'always' or listing out words and/or sounds understood or said by the child. The 476 participating caregivers were recruited at maternal and child healthcare clinics centred in Chengdu, China, 191 of whom were tested a second time seven months later. The children were sampled in three-month age-bands from 0 to 36 months. The sample was balanced for child gender by age band, and parental education was balanced. Caregivers of 0-24-month-old children and caregivers of 12-36 months were each asked a different set of questions, to determine the appropriate age range and cutoff points for each question, requiring the sample size to be doubled for children aged 12-24 months. The results were subject to item-response theory analysis to remove outlying items, and the resulting internal reliability was high for each domain (average Cronbach's alpha=0.87). The final instrument (between 67 and 113 questions in total) was refined to include the least redundant questions that had the highest intercorrelations, with attention paid to coverage of all domains across the age range. Two scales were developed: one for children 0-18 months, the second for children aged 18-36 months. The longitudinal design permitted the creation of growth curves and norms for each domain for six-month intervals from 0 to 36 months. A small sample of 32 parents of children with Down syndrome aged 18-36 months provided validation that the scales are highly sensitive to developmental delay. The instrument shows considerable promise for detecting early communication problems in children in China. What is already known on the subject In China, efforts were made in recent years to develop language assessments for infants and toddlers, but limitations existed with the domains included and number of items included per age group. Many clinical practitioners also continued to rely on language subtests of general developmental scales, which were limited in depth and breadth of language skills tested and were never intended for diagnosis of language delay. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This paper discusses the development of a valid caregiver report instrument for early communication and language skills of infants and toddlers in mainland China. The Diagnostic Receptive Expressive Assessment of Mandarin-Infant Toddler (DREAM-IT) includes foundational domains necessary for language and communication development in young children (receptive language, expressive language, cognitive play and social communication domains). The results show strong internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) for each domain on a sample of 716 children sampled in three-month age bands from 0 to 36 months. The external validity proved strong when tested on a group of 32 young children with Down syndrome. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Besides helping to inform the diagnosis of language delays in infants and toddlers in China, the caregiver report instrument has special features to support clinical practitioners in a field that is just emerging in China. The unique support features include the automatic generation of a profile of relative strengths and weaknesses of the child on the report and the recommendation of child-specific caregiver coaching videos on a companion app.

Pediatric clinicians' perspectives on assessing concerns about young children's social-emotional wellbeing in primary care.

We surveyed pediatric primary care clinicians working in Federally Qualified Health Centers about their perceptions of children's social-emotional wellbeing. We identified clinician's current methods for assessing social-emotional wellbeing in practices, perceived implementation barriers to providing behavioral health care, and interest in adopting a validated, low-burden developmentally sensitive parent-report instrument for screening for social-emotional wellbeing in young children. We surveyed 72 PCCs working in FQHCs from 9 US states. Analyses included examining central tendencies, correlations, analysis of variance, and group differences via t-tests. Average PCC perceptions of social-emotional wellbeing importance for overall health were statistically significantly higher than their confidence in providing care for common social-emotional wellbeing concerns (mean difference = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.13-1.49). PCCs expressed low satisfaction with currently available screening measures for identifying concerns in social-emotional wellbeing. Fewer than half of clinicians reported using any standardized parent-reported measure for identifying concerns in social-emotional wellbeing. Assessment methods and decision tools that improve clinician confidence concerning risk indications are needed, particularly at the critical early childhood period. Policymakers and payers ought to facilitate funding mechanisms that support pediatric PCCs in identifying early concerns in social-emotional wellbeing and providing referral guidance to evidence-based interventions to support parents and caregivers.

Estimating Demographic Bias on Tests of Children's Early Vocabulary.

Children's early language skill has been linked to later educational outcomes, making it important to measure early language accurately. Parent-reported instruments, such as the Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs), have been shown to provide reliable and valid measures of children's aggregate early language skill. However, CDIs contain hundreds of vocabulary items, some of which may not be heard (and thus learned) equally often by children of varying backgrounds. This study used a database of American English CDIs to identify words demonstrating strong bias for particular demographic groups of children, on dimensions of sex (male vs.female), race (white vs.non-white), and maternal education (high vs.low). For each dimension, many items showed bias; removing these items slightly reduced the magnitude of race- and education-based group differences, but did not eliminate them. Additionally, we investigated how well the relative frequency of words spoken to young girls versus boys predicted sex-based word learning bias, and discuss possible sources of demographic differences in early wordlearning.

An open-label study evaluating the safety, behavioral, and electrophysiological outcomes of low-dose ketamine in children with ADNP syndrome.

SummaryActivity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) syndrome is a rare genetic condition associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Preclinical evidence suggests that low-dose ketamine may induce expression of ADNP and that neuroprotective effects of ketamine may be mediated by ADNP. The goal of the proposed research was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and behavioral outcomes of low-dose ketamine in children with ADNP syndrome. We also sought to explore the feasibility of using electrophysiological markers of auditory steady-state response and computerized eye tracking to assess biomarker sensitivity to treatment. This study utilized a single-dose (0.5 mg/kg), open-label design, with ketamine infused intravenously over 40 min. Ten children with ADNP syndrome ages 6 to 12 years were enrolled. Ketamine was generally well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse events. The most common adverse events were elation/silliness (50%), fatigue (40%), and increased aggression (40%). Using parent-report instruments to assess treatment effects, ketamine was associated with nominally significant improvement in a wide array of domains, including social behavior, attention deficit and hyperactivity, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivities, a week after administration. Results derived from clinician-rated assessments aligned with findings from the parent reports. Overall, nominal improvement was evident based on the Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement scale, in addition to clinician-based scales reflecting key domains of social communication, attention deficit and hyperactivity, restricted and repetitive behaviors, speech, thinking, and learning, activities of daily living, and sensory sensitivities. Results also highlight the potential utility of electrophysiological measurement of auditory steady-state response and eye-tracking to index change with ketamine treatment. Findings are intended to be hypothesis generating and provide preliminary support for the safety and efficacy of ketamine in ADNP syndrome in addition to identifying useful endpoints for a ketamine clinical development program. However, results must be interpreted with caution given limitations of this study, most importantly the small sample size and absence of a placebo-control group.

Online Computerized Adaptive Tests of Children's Vocabulary Development in English and Mexican Spanish.

Measuring the growth of young children's vocabulary is important for researchers seeking to understand language learning as well as for clinicians aiming to identify early deficits. The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) are parent report instruments that offer a reliable and valid method for measuring early productive and receptive vocabulary across a number of languages. CDI forms typically include hundreds of words, however, and so the burden of completion is significant. We address this limitation by building on previous work using item response theory (IRT) models to create computer adaptive test (CAT) versions of the CDIs. We created CDI-CATs for both comprehension and production vocabulary, for both American English and Mexican Spanish. Using a data set of 7,633 English-speaking children ages 12-36 months and 1,692 Spanish-speaking children ages 12-30 months, across three CDI forms (Words & Gestures, Words & Sentences, and CDI-III), we found that a 2-parameter logistic IRT model fits well for a majority of the 680 pooled vocabulary items. We conducted CAT simulations on this data set, assessing simulated tests of varying length (25-400 items). Even very short CATs recovered participant abilities very well with little bias across ages. An empirical validation study with N = 204 children ages 15-36 months showed a correlation of r = .92 between language ability estimated from full CDI versus CDI-CAT forms. We provide our item bank along with fitted parameters and other details, offer recommendations for how to construct CDI-CATs in new languages, and suggest when this type of assessment may or may not be appropriate.

Bringing PROMIS to Early Childhood: Introduction and Qualitative Methods for the Development of Early Childhood Parent Report Instruments.

Provide an overview of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Early Childhood Parent Report measurement development project and describe its qualitative methods. The PROMIS Early Childhood (PROMIS EC) initiative used the PROMIS mixed-methods approach to patient-reported outcome development, with insight from the developmental specification framework to create parent report measures appropriate for assessing young children's health-related quality of life. Qualitative methods to develop these instruments included expert input, literature and measure review, and parent concept elicitation and cognitive interviews to confirm the measure frameworks, item understandability, and developmental appropriateness. Twelve measures resulted from the PROMIS EC initiative. These parent report instruments cover young children's physical, mental, and social health. The new PROMIS EC Parent Report instruments offer clinicians and researchers brief and psychometrically robust tools to evaluate young children's physical, mental, and social health outcomes. Aligned with the PROMIS Pediatric instruments, the early childhood versions enable coherent lifespan measurement starting at age 1 while maintaining developmental sensitivity.

Association of Socioeconomic Status With Postdischarge Pediatric Resource Use and Quality of Life.

Socioeconomic factors may impact healthcare resource use and health-related quality of life, but their association with postcritical illness outcomes is unknown. This study examines the associations between socioeconomic status, resource use, and health-related quality of life in a cohort of children recovering from acute respiratory failure. Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial. Thirty-one PICUs. Children with acute respiratory failure enrolled whose parent/guardians consented for follow-up. Resource use included in-home care, number of healthcare providers, prescribed medications, home medical equipment, emergency department visits, and hospital readmission. Socioeconomic status was estimated by matching residential address to census tract-based median income. Health-related quality of life was measured using age-based parent-report instruments. Resource use interviews with matched census tract data (n = 958) and health-related quality of life questionnaires (n = 750/958) were assessed. Compared with high-income children, low-income children received care from fewer types of healthcare providers (β = -0.4; p = 0.004), used less newly prescribed medical equipment (odds ratio = 0.4; p < 0.001), and had more emergency department visits (43% vs 33%; p = 0.04). In the youngest cohort (< 2 yr old), low-income children had lower quality of life scores from physical ability (-8.6 points; p = 0.01) and bodily pain/discomfort (+8.2 points; p < 0.05). In addition, health-related quality of life was lower in those who had more healthcare providers and prescribed medications. In older children, health-related quality of life was lower if they had prescribed medications, emergency department visits, or hospital readmission. Children recovering from acute respiratory failure have ongoing healthcare resource use. Yet, lower income children use less in-home and outpatient services and use more hospital resources. Continued follow-up care, especially in lower income children, may help identify those in need of ongoing healthcare resources and those at-risk for decreased health-related quality of life.

What Impacts Early Language Skills? Effects of Social Disparities and Different Process Characteristics of the Home Learning Environment in the First 2 Years

It is well documented that the language skills of preschool children differ substantially and that these differences are highly predictive of their later academic success and achievements. Especially in the early phases of children’s lives, the importance of different structural and process characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) has been emphasized and research results have documented that process characteristics such as the quality of parental interaction behavior and the frequency of joint activities vary according to the socio-economic status (SES) of the family. Further, both structural and process characteristics are associated with children’s language development. As most of the studies focus on single indicators or didn’t take the dynamics of parenting behavior across age into account, the present paper aims to investigate the associations of different characteristics of the home learning environment as well as their potentially changing impact on the language skills of 2-year-old children. Using data of 2.272 families of the infant cohort study of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), longitudinally assessed process characteristics (sensitivity in the sense of maternal responsivity to the child’s behavior and signals in mother–child interaction; maternal stimulation behavior which goes beyond the child’s actual level of action and development; frequency of joint picture book reading) and structural characteristics (mother’s education, equivalised household income, parental occupational status) were considered. Language skills (vocabulary and grammar) of the children at the age of two were measured by a standardized and validated parent report instrument (child language checklist). Results showed that (1) all three process characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) are associated with the family’s SES; (2) across three assessment waves nearly all process characteristics predicted children’s vocabulary and grammar skills with some process-specific changes across waves; (3) despite separate direct effects of nearly all HLE-process characteristics in each wave, the amount of explained variance in a joint model including the HLE facets from each wave is hardly higher than in the separate models; and (4) socioeconomic background predicted both language facets of the children in each model even when controlling for the assessed process characteristics of the home learning environment.

Early language and communication development in Chinese children: Adaption and validation of a parent report instrument

Purpose To fulfil the needs of assessment tools in the Chinese population, we adapted the LENA Developmental Snapshot, a parent survey that measures early language and communication development in English-speaking children. We reported the psychometric properties of the adapted questionnaire and evaluated the metric and functional equivalence between the adapted and the original instruments. Method The Snapshot was translated into Chinese and reviewed by an expert panel. English-specific items (e.g. past tense, plural) were mapped onto functionally similar Mandarin vocabulary and structures. The questionnaire was administered to 1300 families with children ages 2–48 months. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development was administered to a subsample. Result Scores on the adapted questionnaire showed age-related increases in the 7–36 month age range and correlated with scores on the Chinese Bayley. The questionnaire showed high internal consistency and split-half reliability. Comparison with the US norm revealed slightly lower performance in the current sample. Adaptations of English-specific items resulted in functionally equivalent targets. Conclusion Despite differences in linguistic roots, the Chinese adaption of the LENA Snapshot captured developmental changes in children’s language and communication abilities. Additional norming and validation efforts are needed in a more representative sample.

Communication Development Report [CDR]: A parent report instrument for the early screening of communication and language development in Greek-speaking infants and toddlers

This study aimed to explore the main psychometric properties of the CDR, a new parent report instrument for the early screening of communication and language development of Greek-speaking children. Based on a representative sample of 1391 children aged 7 to 30 months (M= 19.45, SD= 6.91), results are presented on the sensitivity, internalconsistency, and convergent and divergent validity of its two major scales (‘Preverbal behaviors’ and ‘Verbal behaviors’) and their respective subscales (vocal and non-vocal preverbal communication, language comprehension, productive vocabulary, morphology and syntax). Results also illustrate the developmental patterns of the dimensions of communicative/linguistic development assessed, as well as the high and significant correlations among these dimensions of (pre)linguistic knowledge. Overall, results provide evidence on the functionality, validity and reliability of the CDR, and point to its use as a tool for the early screening of communication development in Greek-speaking children for clinical, educational and research purposes.

Psychometric Properties of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC).

Background Some children may encounter difficulties in processing sensory stimuli, which may affect their ability to participate in activities of daily living. Self-regulation abilities may also affect children on how to process different sensory experiences. The Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC) was developed as a single, parent-reported instrument for the examination of sensory processing and self-regulation difficulties in children. Aims This study is aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the SPSRC and examine the patterns of self-regulation and sensory processing in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods and Procedures The contents of the SPSRC were validated by a group of experts, and a field test was subsequently conducted to examine the reliability and validity of this instrument in a sample of 997 typically developing children and 78 children with ASD. Outcomes and Results The results of the validation and field test analyses suggest that the SPSRC exhibits high internal consistency, good intrarater reliability, and a valid ability to measure and discriminate sensory processing and self-regulation in children aged 3–8 years with and without ASD. Conclusions and Implications The current results supported the reliability and validity of SPSRC to assess a child's sensory processing and self-regulation performance in activities of daily living. The study findings warrant further investigation to compare the performance of the SPSRC with laboratory-based tests, as this would better elucidate sensory responsivity in children with sensory modulation disorders from both clinical and research perspectives.

Parental reports of communicative development at the age of 36 months: The Estonian CDI-III

Parental reports are a widely-used source of information about infants’ and toddlers’ communicative skills, but parent-report instruments valid for children older than 30 months are less known. This study explored individual variability in children’s communicative skills at the age of 3;0 via parental reports using the Estonian (E) CDI-III. The validity of ECDI-III was established through correlations with another parent-report instrument (ECDI-II) and a standardized examiner-administered language assessment (New Reynell Developmental Language Scales; NRDLS). A hundred Estonian-speaking children ( M age = 35.77 months, age range from 34 to 39 months; 20 of them with reported language difficulties) participated in the study. Relations between different communicative skills and the impact of such factors as the child’s gender, maternal and paternal education, reported language difficulties, the number of siblings, and day care attendance on variability in vocabulary size were also considered. The results showed that the ECDI-III components were moderately to strongly associated with each other, with the ECDI-II and NRDLS. Children with reported language difficulties scored lower on all language measures, except for orthographic awareness. Girls, children of more educated mothers, children with older siblings, and those who had attended day care for more months obtained higher vocabulary scores.