Which standardized tools are recommended for assessing developmental milestones in children under 5 years old?

For assessing developmental milestones in children under 5 years old, particularly within enhanced developmental surveillance for children born preterm, several standardized tools are recommended:

• The Parent Report of Children's Abilities – Revised (PARCA-R) is used to identify if a child is at risk of global developmental delay, learning disability (intellectual disability), or language problems ¹. This tool is validated for children aged 22 to 26 months ¹. If PARCA-R is not suitable, a suitable alternative parent questionnaire should be used ¹.
• For a face-to-face developmental assessment at 4 years (uncorrected age) for children born before 28+0 weeks' gestation, the following parent questionnaires are recommended to be completed beforehand and discussed during the assessment:
  • The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) 48-month questionnaire, to check for various aspects of development ¹.
  • The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), to check for social, attentional, emotional, and behavioural problems ¹.
• At the 4-year assessment for children born before 28+0 weeks' gestation, a standardized test to assess IQ, such as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence 4th Edition (WPPSI) test, should be used ¹.
• If cerebral palsy has been diagnosed, the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) score is used ¹.