If you or your child’s doctor have noticed signs of developmental delays or other special needs, it can feel overwhelming to figure out the next step.
Developmental delays are often a natural part of your child’s unique growth and don’t necessarily indicate a serious issue. However, getting additional assessments can ensure that your child has access to early intervention and any support they may need.
Navigating the process of seeking diagnostic tests can feel daunting, like wading through a sea of medical jargon and acronyms.
To make the process a little easier, we’ve put together a guide to some of the most common diagnostic tests — who they’re for, what they assess, and how they’re used. These assessments should always be administered by qualified professionals, like psychologists, school psychologists, speech therapists, and other specialists.
Developmental Delays
Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)
The ASQ is a parent-completed questionnaire that screens children from one month to 5½ years old for developmental delays. It assesses areas like communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and social skills.
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III)
The Bayley-III is used for children aged 1 to 3 and a half. It evaluates developmental functioning in five areas: cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior. This test provides a comprehensive overview of your child's development and can pinpoint specific areas in need of support.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
The ADOS-2 is considered the gold standard tool for autism diagnosis. It’s a play-based assessment that uses a series of structured and semi-structured tasks to evaluate behaviors associated with autism.
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)
The CARS is an assessment that helps identify children with autism and determine the severity of the disorder. To do so, the examiner observes the child’s behavior and rates it on a fifteen-point scale. The test covers a wide range of behaviors, such as verbal and non-verbal communication, social skills, and response to stimuli.
Intellectual Disabilities
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV)
The WPPSI-IV is used to assess cognitive development for children ages 2½ to 7. (Specialized versions of this test are designed for other age groups as well.) It assesses verbal comprehension, visual-spatial abilities, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed, resulting in an IQ score that can help identify intellectual disabilities or giftedness.
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5)
The SB5 measures five aspects of cognition: fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing, and working memory. This test also results in an IQ score and provides insights into a child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses.
Speech and Language Disorders
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5)
The CELF-5 is used for children aged 5 to 21 and assesses various aspects of language, including syntax, semantics, memory, and pragmatics (the social use of language). This test is often used to diagnose language disorders.
Preschool Language Scales (PLS-5)
The PLS-5 is designed for children from birth to 7 years old. It evaluates auditory comprehension and expressive communication skills, providing a clear picture of a child's language abilities and areas needing support.
Motor Skill Issues
Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS-2)
The PDMS-2 identifies motor skill delays in young children, evaluating both gross motor skills (like walking and jumping) and fine motor skills (like grasping and drawing).
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2)
The BOT-2 is another test designed to measure fine and gross motor skills, this time for children and adolescents aged 4 to 21. It assesses factors like running speed, agility, balance, strength, and coordination. The results can highlight specific motor challenges and guide physical therapy interventions.
Adaptive Behavior Concerns
Adaptive behaviors refer to the skills needed for daily living, like getting dressed, preparing meals, using the bathroom, and interacting socially.
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-3)
The Vineland-3 evaluates adaptive behaviors from birth to adulthood, including communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills.
Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-3)
The ABAS-3 measures adaptive skills in activities of daily living (often referred to as ADLs), including conceptual, social, and practical skills. It can be used for individuals of all ages and is often used when developing individualized education plans (IEPs).
Learning Disabilities
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III)
The WIAT-III helps identify learning disabilities by assessing a range of academic skills, such as reading, math, written language, and oral language.
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV)
The WJ-IV is another test that is used to assess academic abilities. The results can be used to develop intervention strategies by identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses.
ADHD
Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales (CBRS)
The CBRS is used for children aged 6 to 18 years old to assess inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and other emotional and behavioral symptoms. It provides a holistic assessment of the child by including ratings from parents, teachers, and the child himself.
Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale
The Vanderbilt scale is designed for children aged 6 to 12 and helps diagnose ADHD by evaluating inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Since symptoms of ADHD must be present in more than one domain to meet the diagnostic criteria, this assessment includes feedback from parents and teachers.
