Study confirms accuracy of developmental screening tests that can be administered by family physicians

BC Children’s Hospital and University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers have found that two existing screening tests are accurate in diagnosing development delays in children and could be incorporated in a busy family practice setting with relative ease. Parents can complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) or the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) at home or in the family physician’s office, with the physician scoring the tests and providing results in a matter of minutes. “Only 30 per cent of children with developmental delays are identified prior to school age – whether that’s social, physical or learning – and most experts would agree that we should be identifying those delays earlier through regular screening,” says Dr. Marjolaine Limbos, principal investigator and a psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital. However, researchers believe the tests are not routinely administered by Canadian family physicians because they have not been validated in a primary care setting and because of physicians’ concerns about having enough time to administer such tests in a busy practice. The authors of this research study, however, concluded that the ASQ and, to a lesser extent, the PEDS are accurate and can be administered effectively and at low cost.” (J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2011 Jul 14. PMID: 21760526)