Abstract
The utility of the Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test and the Developmental Profile II for the identification of preschool children with developmental delays was investigated and compared. The screening instrument scores of 84 referred preschoolers were compared with subsequent scores on standardized tests of cognitive, motor, and language ability. The limits of normality-abnormality were manipulated to study the effects upon rates of underreferral and overreferral. Results suggest that both screening instruments are imperfect yet useful tools. The RDDST was more accurate in predicting motor delays while the Developmental Profile II was more sensitive and selective in the language areas. Under-referral and over-referral rates fluctuated widely as the normality-abnormality limits were manipulated.
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