MacArthur-Bates Child Development Index (CDI)

A series ofthree questionnaires that together span infancy through toddlerhood.  Thequestionnaires tap into the range of words that children know, as well as theirgrammatical skill.  The rating scale is designed to be completed by individualsvery familiar with children’s language skills, as they report on whether or notchildren know a variety of specific words (i.e., Vocabulary Checklist), as wellas how often (on a three-point scale) children use particular languageconstructions. The measure has demonstrated high inter-rater and predictivereliability.  The tool has been widely used to measure language development inEnglish-speaking countries in the west.  In addition, the CDI is available inmany languages; however, because the measure asseses the extent to whichparticular words are commonly used in a language, a simple translation is notsufficient for gaining an understanding of children’s competence. 

See Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Child Behaviour Checklist (CBC), Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ), Mullen Scales of Early Learning