An exploration of developmental screening tests for children

Nurses are the first group of professionals to come into contact with infants. If they can use developmental screening tests effectively, they can be expected to make early identification of developmental disabilities in children. This review discusses developmental screening tests that have been developed in Taiwan to serve as a reference for nurses. It found that most of the developmental screening tests used in Taiwan have been modified from tools developed in Western countries and the norms are not suitable for current Taiwanese children. Even in the same country, it is still necessary to develop local norms in order to address cultural differences. A Taiwanese developmental test, the comprehensive Developmental Inventory for Infants and Toddlers, with norms developed through work on Taiwanese children, was published in 2002. But some well-known international tools are valid and easy to administer, and have been standardized in many countries. If the norms for Taiwanese children could be established for use with these international tools, then these tools could be used to compare developmental outcomes in different countries.