These screening tests provide information about a range of ages during which normally developing children acquire certain abilities and skills.
As of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends developmental and behavioral screening for all children during regular well-child visits at 9, 18, and 30 months of age.
[3] As the first tool used for developmental screening in normal situations like pediatric well-child care, the test became widely known and was used in 54 countries and standardized in 15.
[4] Use of the Denver Developmental Screening Test has raised various concerns: the applicability of 1967 norms in the 1990s and onwards,[5] the difficulty of administering and scoring several of the test’s language items,[6] and the limited validity in cultures that differ from the normative sample in Denver (ethnic groups, varying levels of maternal education, groups with differing genders), potentially leading to under- or over-referrals for mental health services.
[7] The Denver Developmental Screening Test was revised in order to increase its detection of language delays, replace items found difficult to use, and address the other concerns listed.
If a child receives a concerning screening score, the next step is an extensive evaluation via medical professionals to identify the developmental disorders.
However, their results should be combined with attention to parental concerns and the pediatrician’s opinion, rather than replacing them, to augment the screening process and increase identification of children with developmental disorders”.
The Denver II yielded a high sensitivity rate, correctly identifying 83% of the previously noted delayed children.
[15] Other countries that have conducted studies in order to standardize the DDST to their populations include Singapore,[15] Georgia,[16] and Brazil [17] where it was surveyed to be the most commonly used developmental screening tool nationwide.
Because of the growing number of non-native English speakers in the United States, in 2015, a group of researchers sought to present the utility of translations for the 9 screening tools recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics – Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener, Denver II, Brigance II, CDI, Child Development Review—Parent Questionnaire, IDI, Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, and the Battelle Developmental Inventory.