Lecture Notes: Standardized Assessments of Infant Development

Overview

This lecture focuses on standardized assessments used to evaluate infant development from 0 to 12 months. We cover four main assessments:

Purpose: Observational gross motor assessment for infants aged 0-18 months.
Validity: Norm-referenced with discriminative, predictive, and evaluative validity.
- Discriminative: Identifies motor performance against norms.
- Predictive: Establishes cutoff values to predict poor performance at 18 months.
- Evaluative: Monitors changes in infants with delayed motor skills.
Appropriateness: Not suitable for infants with atypical movement patterns like cerebral palsy.
Scales:
- Prone
- Supine
- Sitting
- Standing
Materials Needed: Mat or carpet, toys, score sheet, and booklet.
Scoring: Observational, with items marked as observed or not observed.
Time and Cost: 10-30 minutes; minimal cost for materials.
Training: No specific training required, but understanding of movement observation is critical.

Purpose: Identifies neurological issues that may lead to cerebral palsy.
Age: Completed from birth to 20 weeks of age.
Method: Video of infant in supine, observing fidgety movements.
Scoring: Requires training to score; video used for assessment.
Importance: Allows for early diagnosis of cerebral palsy before 6 months of corrected age.
Tools: Term age MRI, Pretzel’s quality assessment, and HINE improve early detection.

Purpose: Standardized neurological exam for infants 2-24 months.
Utility: Provides free training videos and scoring sheets.
Components:
- Neurological (scored)
- Developmental milestones (not scored)
- Behavior (not scored)
Scoring: 0 to 3 scale; maximum score of 78.
Domains:
- Cranial nerve function
- Posture
- Movement quality and quantity
- Muscle tone
- Reflexes and reactions
Training: Free registration for access to materials.

Focus: A Queensland-based assessment profiling motor development from 1 month to 6 years.
Components:
- Body structure and function
- Activity (gross and fine motor skills)
Scoring: Each item scored from 1 to 4; functional grade assigned.
Functional Grades: Lower scores indicate better performance.
Training: Requires a two-day course for free assessment sheets.
Outcome Measurement: Not used for pre/post intervention evaluation.

These assessments are crucial for identifying and predicting developmental issues in infants.
They provide a structured approach to observing and measuring various aspects of motor and neurological development.
The course focuses on understanding and utilizing these tools to better assess infant developmental progress.