Assessing Child Development/Health

Resources for screening and assessing child development and health, including information on the Role of health-care professionals.

Building Bridges for Babies in Foster Care: The Babies Can't Wait Initiative
Dicker & Gordon
Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 55(2), 2004
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The "Babies Can't Wait" initiative maximizes the well-being and permanency prospects of infants in foster care. Checklists for the healthy development of foster children, as well as a detailed inquiry for infants in foster care, are included.

Developmental Assessment of the Internationally Adopted Child: Challenges and Rewards
Weitzman
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8(3), 2003
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Key elements and challenges of the developmental evaluation of children adopted internationally. Includes a review of research findings and a discussion of applying research to clinical assessments.

Developmental Stages of Developmental Screening: Steps to Implementation of a Successful Program
Pinto-Martin, Dunkle, Earls, Fliedner, & Landes
American Journal of Public Health, 95(11), 2005
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Discusses the pros and cons of two models of early screening for autism spectrum disorder and developmental disability.

Early Childhood Measures Profiles
Child Trends (2004)
A compendium of early childhood assessments commonly used to measure language and literacy, cognition, mathematics, social-emotional competency, and approaches to learning. (PDF - 3560 KB)

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (PDF - 710 KB)
Cohen & Kaufmann (2005)
Presents a blueprint for public and private child care providers to use when hiring a mental health consultant to provide ongoing assessments of children served in their programs.

Findings From the ABCD Screening Academy: State Strategies to Support Practice Changes That Improve Identification of Children at Risk for or With Developmental Delays (PDF - 549 KB)
Kaye & May (2009)
Outlines State approaches to enhance the delivery of child health and development services in primary care settings by improving the provider's ability to identify, assess, and treat children's developmental delays.

Foster Care: State Practices for Assessing Health Needs, Facilitating Service Delivery, and Monitoring Children's Care (PDF - 942 KB)
U.S. Government Accountability Office (2009)
Describes States' efforts to identify health-care needs, ensure delivery of appropriate health services, and document and monitor the health care of children in foster care. It also describes related technical assistance the Administration for Children and Families offers to States.

Improving the Odds for the Healthy Development of Young Children in Foster Care
National Center for Children in Poverty (2002)
Examines what child welfare agencies, courts, and other partners can do to improve the physical, developmental, and emotional health of young children in foster care. (PDF - 187 KB)

The Physical, Developmental, and Mental Health Needs of Young Children in Child Welfare by Initial Placement Type
Leslie, Gordon, Meneken, Premji, Michelmore, & Ganger
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 26(3), 2005
Describes the Developmental Screening and Enhancement Program in San Diego County, CA; reviews child welfare and medical records of children admitted to the emergency shelter/receiving facility for investigation of alleged maltreatment; and discusses the usefulness of the findings to inform screening, treatment, and policy decisions.

Practice Prompt: Recognizing Developmental Risk at an Early Age (PDF - 486 KB)
Anderson (2010)
Provides guidelines for identifying developmental delays in children ages 9 months to 4 years in Minnesota. Strategies for early intervention are also included.

Screening for Developmental and Behavioral Problems
Glascoe
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 11(3), 2005
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Describes how to identify accurate measures and presents standards for screening tests for early detection of developmental and behavioral/mental health problems.

ZERO TO THREE
Promotes the healthy development of infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. Website includes tips and resources for parents as well as scholarly information and support for professionals.

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Role of health-care professionals

High Quality Developmental Screening
Dunkle (2005)
Outlines five ways pediatricians can take the lead on providing high quality developmental screening for all children.

Pediatricians' Reported Practices Regarding Developmental Screening: Do Guidelines Work? Do They Help?
Akron Children's Hospital Neurodevelopmental Center
Pediatrics, 116(1), 2005
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Describes the use of developmental screening tests among board-certified pediatricians practicing general pediatrics and seeks to determine the association between standardized screening and the self-reported identification of children with developmental difficulties.

Preventing Child Neglect and Physical Abuse: A Role for Pediatricians (PDF - 63 KB)
Dubowitz
Pediatrics in Review, 23(6), 2002
Principles and guidelines for pediatricians in the areas of screening, brief assessment, and initial management of problems related to child abuse and neglect.

The Role of Health Care Professionals in the Response to Child Victimization
Palusci
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 8(1/2), 2003
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An introduction to the many roles of health-care professionals in the assessment, care, and treatment of child victimization.

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