Standardized Assessment of Cognitive Development: Instruments and Issues

A standardized measure of cognitive functioning is often a primary component of a comprehensive early childhood psychological evaluation. Children’s performance on cognitive assessments can have significant immediate and long-term implications. Treatment decisions and access to services or resources may be predicated on the information gained from a particular measure. This chapter will describe the applications of standardized instruments commonly used to measure cognitive development in infants, toddlers, and young children. It begins with a discussion of cognitive development theory to provide a foundation of the background and structure of these instruments. Second, factors associated with appropriate instrument selection are presented, including consideration of psychometric properties, norms, and limitations. The chapter also provides a framework for conducting and interpreting an assessment using these measures, including a practical checklist for clinicians. Finally, the chapter provides specific descriptions of standardized cognitive measures that are commonly used with infants, toddlers, and young children.