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Child Development Assessment Tool

Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS)

Welcome to the Authorised Australian Version of Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS).

• What is PEDS
• Purchasing PEDS  
• Training      
• Using PEDS in research   
• Registering as a PEDS user  
• PEDS evaluation  
• Frequently asked questions 
• Links  
• Contact us  

What is PEDS

Download "Introduction to PEDS"

The PEDS is a methodology for detecting developmental and behavioural problems in children from birth to eight years of age. This methodology involves asking parents to complete a ten-item questionnaire, which takes only a few minutes.

There are three components of the PEDS, these being:

1. PEDS Response Form. This is a one page questionnaire that includes ten items, and is to be completed by the parents. This form is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian, Hmong, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili and Thai.
2. PEDS Score Form. The parent's responses to the PEDS Response Form are transferred onto the PEDS Score Form.
3. PEDS Interpretation Form. The information from the PEDS Score Form is interpreted using this form and determines the appropriate path to follow.

The PEDS Brief Administration and Scoring Guide provides the outline on how to use the three forms that make up the PEDS. This guide provides a clear step by step process to follow in administering the PEDS.

The PEDS can be used in two ways.

1. As a developmental screening test.
When the parental responses to the ten-item questionnaire are transferred to the score sheet, interpreted according to the guidelines provided. In this way professionals will use the PEDS as a way of eliciting parental concern; they will score and interpret the form and then act according to their clinical experience.

2. As an informal means to elicit and respond to parental concerns.
The ten-item questionnaire is a structured way of beginning a dialogue with parents about any concerns they may have about their child's development or behaviour, promoting a family-centred approach to practice.

Where the PEDS is used as a formal screening test, we would urge the usual cautions. A screening test is not diagnostic, and clinical diagnoses should not be made on the basis of responses on the PEDS. If the use of the PEDS raises major concerns about the child, then a proper assessment needs to take place before any firm clinical conclusions can be made.

PEDS forms:

Purchasing PEDS

Component of PEDS can be purchased individually or as a "complete set". All costs, including discounts for bulk orders, are included in the PEDS order form. Please note that the PEDS forms are copyrighted and not to reproduced or copied without permission.

The following items are available for purchase:

• Brief Administration and Scoring Guide.
• PEDS Response Form - This form is available in English in pads of 50.
  Translated  Response Forms are also available Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian, Hmong, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili and Thai.
• PEDS Score/Interpretation Form - These two forms are printed back-to-back on an A4 page. These forms can be purchased as pads of 50.
• Complete PEDS Set - this includes a Brief Administration and Scoring Guide, one pad of 50 PEDS Response Forms and one pad of 50 Score/Interpretation Forms. This is cost effective if purchasing PEDS for the first time.

To purchase any of the PEDS material, including translations download a PEDS order form.

Secondary Screens

When the PEDS is used as a developmental screen it also requires the use of a secondary screen, particularly to decrease the chance of referring children unnecessarily.

The following links for ordering the Brigance screens and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire are simply provided to assist you in locating these two secondary screens. In determining which secondary screen is suitable, characteristics such as accuracy, ease of use and acceptability to the client and training of the professional need to be considered.

Training

As the PEDS can be used by a broad range of professionals as either a screening tool, or to begin a dialogue with parents about any concerns they may have about their child's development or behaviour, promoting a family-centred approach to practice, the Centre has responded to this diversity of use by creating flexible training options.

Upcoming training

Download a training flyer here.  Alternately, contact the Centre on 03 9345 6337 or email training.ccch@rch.org.au for training dates. To be notified when new training dates are set, subscribe to our mailing list.

Training options

• One day PEDS training. The training includes:
  1. Developmental screening and surveillance within systems of early detection
  2. The development, use, scoring and interpretation of the PEDS
  3. Use of the Brigance or Ages and Stages screen. When the PEDS is used as a developmental screen it also requires the use of a secondary screen, particularly to decrease the chance of referring children unnecessarily.  This training offers an introduction to Brigance screens.
  Professionals such as maternal and child health nurses, school nurses, general practitioners, allied health professionals or early intervention services may find this training session useful.

• Half day PEDS training (4 hours). The training includes:
  1. The development, use, scoring and interpretation of the PEDS
  2. Use of the Brigance. When the PEDS is used as a developmental screen it also requires the use of a secondary screen, particularly to decrease the chance of referring children unnecessarily.
  Professionals such as maternal and child health nurses, school nurses, general practitioners, allied health professionals or early intervention services may find this training session useful.

• Basic PEDS training (2-3 hours). This training has been designed for those providers who wish to mainly utilise the PEDS as a structured discussion tool within the context of their practice and are interested in limited training. The training includes:
  1. Importance of early childhood and child development
  2. Importance of parental concern
  3. PEDS as a communication and referral tool
  4. The role of the professional
  Childcare workers, preschool teachers and primary teachers may find this type of training session useful.

Please note: Training sessions can also be organised locally.

Kindergarten teachers employed under the MECA please note: This training may count as part of your Professional Development and Enhancement Program (PDEP) requirements.

Using PEDS in research

PEDS can be used for research purposes.  Download a copy of the User-Agreement for Research Purposes that must be completed for PEDS to be used in research.  The signed form should be posted back to: PEDS Co-ordinator, Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville  Vic  3052.

Registering as a PEDS user

When you purchase the PEDS you will be offered the opportunity to become a Registered PEDS User for no cost. This will allow you to receive regular updates about the PEDS and will ensure that you are informed about research findings or new releases and will link you into the international listserve that is currently under development.

PEDS evaluation

Projects undertaken

In order to better understand how the PEDS might be beneficial in a variety of Australian provider contexts, the Centre for Community Child Health has been involved in developing innovative approaches to the use of the PEDS.

The Moonee Valley Platforms Project
The Platforms Project is a feasibility study to develop a local government model of service coordination for young children (0-8) and their families. The goal of the project is to improve the early identification and response to health, developmental and behavioural concerns in young children in the City of Moonee Valley.

The components of the project include:

• Community consultation and the establishment of community advisory groups
• Training for professionals in childcare, maternal and child health, primary school and preschool in the use of the PEDS and creating appropriate primary care referral pathways
• Community Mapping

The project was completed in June 2004.

The Wodonga Good Beginnings for Young Children and Families project
This project was undertaken by the City of Wodonga in collaboration with the Centre for Community Child Health.

The aim of this project was to improve the ways that parents can be helped to address any concerns they have about their child's development and behaviour. The project took place in primary schools, preschools, child care centres and maternal and child health centres in the City of Wodonga. It includes children aged 8 months to 8 years and focuses on parent and provider feedback from the use of the PEDS in a community setting.

A final report can be downloaded here. (pdf 2.1MB).  For further information please contact:
Marcia Armstrong, Project Coordinator, City of Wodonga: 02 6055 9200 or marmstrong@wodonga.vic.gov.au

Evaluation opportunities

A number of professionals have started to use the PEDS either in their personal practice or within their organisation. We are very interested in knowing more about the PEDS and sharing findings. A set of core evaluation questions for parents and providers has therefore been developed.

If you are considering use of the PEDS and would like to incorporate an evaluation component, the questions can be made available. Collated data from across Australia and articles will then be posted regularly to the website. Email your interest to enquiries.ccch@rch.org.au

Frequently asked questions

How was the PEDS developed?

The PEDS was developed in the USA by Frances Page Glascoe PhD, a respected researcher who has published widely in the area of developmental screening and the early detection of developmental and behavioural problems. The ten-items on the questionnaire were chosen on the basis of research data, and the language used in the questions was selected carefully.

The Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, has used the PEDS with hundreds of children and families across a variety of community-based settings. The language of the PEDS was changed to conform to Australian language usage. Parents and professionals found it useful and had no difficulty with the process.

Why is a parent questionnaire administered rather than the usual sorts of developmental screening tests?

Research suggests that if parents are asked the right questions in the right way, they are very accurate observers of their child's strengths and weaknesses. One of the criticisms of developmental screening tests is that they tend to be performed in isolation without taking into account the socio-cultural context in which a child grows up, and without having systematic input from parents, who know the child best. Apart from the time, costs and special training needed to administer developmental screening tests, there have been concerns that not involving parents actively in the process diminishes their accuracy and makes it less likely that recommendations will be followed.

Who can use the PEDS?

The PEDS can be used in virtually any setting - its use is not confined to health professionals such as doctors and nurses. In Australia the PEDS has been used in:

• childcare centres,
• preschools and kindergartens,
• maternal and child health centres,
• general practices,
• paediatricians' offices, and
• schools.

When can I use the PEDS?

The PEDS can be used in a number of different ways. Some professionals may use the PEDS on a regular basis, eg. each year on the child's birthday or at the scheduled visit with the community nurse. Others may administer the PEDS when the child is first enrolled in a particular community setting, eg. preschool, school or at regular parental interview times. Some professionals may use it as a formal developmental screening test, while others may use it informally to elicit and respond to parent concerns. The flexibility of the PEDS means that it can be used in a variety of different ways, and developmental concerns and progress can be monitored over time.

What is a secondary screen and when do I need one?

When the PEDS is used as a developmental screen it also requires the use of a secondary developmental screen, particularly to decrease the chance of referring children unnecessarily (improving the specificity). There are a number of secondary screens available, some of which are included in the Community Paediatric Review (CPR) April 2003 publication produced by the Centre for Community Child Health. Secondary screens may be a more extensive parent report questionnaire such as the Age and Stages Questionnaire or through more "hands on" developmental screening such as the Brigance screens.

How reliable and valid is the PEDS?

The use of the PEDS as a screening test has been validated against standard psychometric tests in a series of studies in the USA. It was decided not to replicate these studies with an Australian sample. There is nothing to suggest that results in this country would have differed in any significant way from the American sample. As a screening test, the PEDS has similar sensitivity and specificity to other commonly used developmental screening tests, but is much shorter and simpler. It also has the advantage of involving parents in the process.

The PEDS has been validated on close to a thousand children and families in North America, and has psychometric properties in keeping with standards for other developmental screening tests (sensitivity and specificity between 70-80%). However, it has the advantage of being brief, simple to use, and actively involves parents.

Links

PEDS: Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status - USA PEDS website

USA PEDS website - Frequently asked questions

City of Wodonga

Contact us

Professional staff at the Centre for Community Child Health have had experience at using the PEDS and are available for consultation.

Centre for Community Child Health
Royal Children's Hospital
Flemington Road
Parkville Vic 3052 Australia
Telephone: (03) 9345 6150
Fax: (03) 9345 5900
Email: enquiries.ccch@rch.org.au