Open AccessDeveloping a Screening Tool for Young Children Using an Ecological Framework
Author(s) -
Carmela J. DeCandia,
Katherine T. Volk,
George J. Unick,
Laura Rose W. Donegan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
infants and young children
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.413
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1550-5081
pISSN - 0896-3746
DOI - 10.1097/iyc.0000000000000173
Subject(s) - psychology , social ecological model , construct validity , rasch model , applied psychology , rating scale , developmental psychology , resource (disambiguation) , construct (python library) , confirmatory factor analysis , test (biology) , workforce , ecological validity , scale (ratio) , cognition , psychometrics , structural equation modeling , ecology , computer science , psychiatry , computer network , physics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , economics , biology , programming language , economic growth
Young children from impoverished backgrounds experience high levels of family and environmental stress, adversely impacting developmental functioning. Early identification provides a pathway to solutions, but many children are never assessed. In addition, the child-serving workforce lacks resources and expertise to use traditional measures. Furthermore, existing measures do not account for the substantial influence of a child's ecology. To bridge these gaps, we developed the Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool (NEST) and conducted a pilot study (n=60) to test its feasibility for use with caregivers of children ages 3-5 in low-resource settings. We developed an item pool across three domains (child, caregiver, environment), vetted it with experts, and conducted cognitive interviewing with parents (n=15) and case managers (n-10). Simultaneously, we built an online, user-friendly delivery platform. We used a one parameter Item Response Model and a Rasch-based Rating Scale Model (RSM) and fit confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) models to test for unidimensional and construct validity. The results support the feasibility of screening children from low SES populations within low-resource settings using an ecological perspective and supports the work of child-serving paraprofessionals in identifying and addressing risks in the lives of young children.