Developmental Research
Developmental Assessments
We are working to further our understanding of infants' cognitive, motor, and emotional development and do so by completing developmental assessments with a variety of infant populations. By studying infants from many backgrounds, we are able to better our understanding of how development progresses and what events or circumstances shape development.
Our developmental assessments are completed with infants ages 6, 12, and 18 months and with preschool age children at 40 months of age. The assessment typically lasts approximately 1 to 1½ hours in duration. The assessment is completed by a trained examiner in a moderate-sized office with at least one parent present. The majority of the assessment entails an evaluation of the infant’s motor, cognitive, and language development. This is an interactive evaluation where the examiner presents the infant with items that the infant can play with, watch, manipulate, or imitate. The parent spends much of the time holding their infant and providing quiet support. However, at times, parents are requested to assist in the evaluation by playing with their infant.
Upon completion of this fun and active evaluation, the parent is asked to fill out paper-and-pencil questionnaires. These questionnaires ask the parent about their experiences with their child, their child’s skills, and their experiences as parents. These paper-and-pencil measures specifically ask questions about the child’s behavior, including how they interact with their environment and respond to others. These questionnaires provide the parent an opportunity to indicate any areas of concern. After each assessment is complete, a feedback letter detailing the results of the developmental assessment ismailed to the parents.
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