1. Phase One Child Development and its Assessment:
Revising the Griffiths Mental Development Scales
Sue Bloomfield1, Elizabeth Green1, Paula McAlinden1, Louise Stroud2.
1Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (ARICD)
2Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Phases
Literature Review, Stakeholder feedback & Market Research
Systematic literature review
Avenues of Learning workshop
Expert interviews
Strengths and weaknesses
Planning for Phase Two
Decision Accelerators
Phase One
One
Diagnostic
Solution envisioning
Results
Aim
To clarify the direction and content of the revision process.
Themes and trends that emerged from triangulating the data suggested that:
developmental theory and knowledge must inform the domains;
the screening versus diagnostic nature of the GMDS should be debated;
observation and play with reference to the nature of the GMDS must be retained;
the age range of the GMDS and the implications for test development was highlighted;
and the universality of the link of the GMDS to remediation was expressed.
 Creation of “proof of concept” for Phase Two
Methods
Two
Item Review
A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research approach was chosen to underpin Phase One and encompassed various sub-phases. These included a systematic review of recent literature regarding child development and assessment, the conduction of an Avenues of Learning workshop in which ‘sticky note’ data was collected,
Fine grain analysis
Introduction
Four
Pilot testing & standardisation
Three
Item Design
Item development
Requests from test users:
What are the new knowledges that are not in current tests?
What are the new advances/ knowledges we do not want?
Emotional
Development?
Reduced in length
Updated construct statements
Test Finalisation
Don’t want a test that tries to measure everything.
Training by video
modernised
Six
Training
Five
Production & release
Emotional development
Sensitive critical periods of brain development
safety
Reordering subscales
Introduction
Parent input.
Special groups...
Children with emotional issues. .
What are the ideal components of a developmental test?
Branching out to Griffiths III
New Tasks
Child friendly
Short test time
Language subscale extensive revision
In 1954, Ruth Griffiths developed the Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS), a developmental assessment measure based on a philosophy of the basic avenues of learning and the observation of children in play.
must address key developmental domains
Contemporary plus fun for child
To be designed with pipeline measures & technology in mind
Clinical profiles
the conduction of qualitative interviews with experts, and the development, distribution and ultimate analysis of a questionnaire to Griffiths Users and non Users.
Conclusions
Questionnaire: GMDS Re-standardisation
In your opinion, what aspects of the development of infants and young children should the GMDS measure?
The GMDS is founded on the structured observation of children. Do you think this should be retained within the re-standardisation? Please elaborate.
Do you place any value on the potential diagnostic properties of the GMDS? Please elaborate
What kinds of recommendations for further analysis would you like to be able to make using the GMDS?
What are your thoughts on having a supplementary set of GMDS Scales that cover second order factors, such as working memory, processing speed, attention, and socio-emotional and behavioural aspects of development?
What are your thoughts on including an accompanying booklet for practitioners and/or parents that covers pertinent aspects of developing children, in the kit?
What do you consider the merits of the test to be?
What do you consider the limitations of the test to be?
Do you think that, in the future, there will continue to be a place in your professional work for developmental testing (as distinct from, or additional to, cognitive or physical testing)?
What other suggestions would you like to make for enhancing the GMDS and improving its applicability and use?
Practitioner view has been incorporated into the design of Griffiths III.
The child friendly developmental measure remains based on the structured observation of children.
Modern knowledge of child development has been incorporated.
Sensitive specificity to pick up deviation from the norm is essential.
Significantly, modern systemic approaches to developmental assessment remain in line with Griffiths’ (1954) thinking.
“The Basic Avenues of Learning”
Adapted from Griffiths, R. (1954). The Abilities of Babies. Bucks: The Test Agency
The International Test Commission recommends the views of users are taken into account in test revisions.
International Test Commission (ITC). (1999). International Guidelines for Test Use (version 2000).