Authors:
Sally Provence, Joanna Erikson, Susan Vater, and Saro Palmeri

Publisher:
Riverside Publishing
(800) 323-9540
www.riverpub.com

Initial Material Cost:
IDA Complete Kit: $502 (includes 25 Parent Reporting Forms, Health Record Guides, and Record Forms, a Foundations and Study Guide, the Administration Manual, readings, and IDA Manipulative Kit in Carrying Case) Without Manipulative Kit and Carrying Case: $278

Representativeness of Norming Sample:
The research sample of 100 children between birth and 3 years old is not nationally representative.

Languages:
English1

Type of Assessment:
Parent report and observation

Age Range and Administration Interval:
Birth to 42 months

Personnel, Training, Administration, and Scoring Requirements:
A multidisciplinary team or a very well- trained clinician can administer the assessment. Training tapes are available. Administration and scoring times vary.

Summary
Initial Material Cost: 3 (> $200)
Reliability: 3 (.65 or higher)
Validity: 3 (based on percent scoring agreement with other instruments)
Norming Sample Characteristics: 2 (not nationally representative)
Ease of Administration and Scoring: 3 (administered and scored by a highly trained individual)

Description: The Infant-Toddler Developmental Assessment (IDA) is designed to improve early identification of children birth to 3 years of age who are developmentally at risk. There are six IDA phases that are designed to be conducted by a team of two or more professionals: (1) Referral & Pre-interview Data Gathering, (2) Initial Parent Interview, (3) Health Review, (4) Developmental Observation and Assessment, (5) Integration and Synthesis, and (6) Share Findings, Completion, and Report. Each phase develops from the preceding one and is completed only after team discussion and review. The Developmental Observation and Assessment Phase (Phase Four) uses the Provence Birth-to-Three Developmental Profile, which provides a descriptive summary of a child’s developmental competencies. The entire assessment uses observation and parent reports of the child’s development along eight developmental domains: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Relationship to Inanimate Objects (Cognitive), Language/Communication, Self-Help, Relationship to Persons, Emotions and Feeling States (affects), and Coping. The Provence Profile is to be used within the context of the full IDA rather than as an isolated test. Five forms are used to gather and record information: Parent Report, Request for Health Information, Family Recording Guide, Health Recording Guide, and IDA Record.

Uses of Information: The IDA helps determine the need for monitoring, consultation, intervention, or other services for the child and family and may be used to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

Reliability: (1) Internal consistency reliability: alpha coefficients for the Provence domain scores range from .90 to .96 for ages 1 to 18 months and .77 to .96 for ages 19 to 36 months. (2) Test-retest reliability: no information available. (3) Inter-rater reliability: correlations between raters ranged from .91 to .95 for seven of the eight domains and .81 for the remaining domain (language/communication).

Validity: (1) Concurrent validity: comparisons between the IDA and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Hawaii Early Learning Profile, Learning Accomplish Profile, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales showed that, of the items IDA had in common with those instruments, the percentage agreement on the developmental age ranged from 84 to 100 percent. A comparison of the IDA with the Bayley and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales in identifying children needing services found the IDA and Vineland had more similar outcomes. The IDA classified 51.6 percent of the children as needing services compared to 66.0 to 73.6 percent for the Vineland and 13.2 to 22.6 percent for the Bayley. Of 57 children referred to services by IDA practitioners, according to the receiving agencies, 83 percent of the referrals were considered to be appropriate. (2) Predictive validity: no information available.

Method of Scoring: The Provence Protocols behavioral items are marked “present and observed,” “not present or observed,” “reported present and not observed,” “reported not present,” “emerging,” or “refused.” The number of correct responses is used determine the child’s performance age, which is compared to the child’s chronological age to determine whether to rate the child’s development in the domain as “competent” or “of concern” and, if the latter, the degree of the delay. Using tables in the manual, the “Percentage Delay” can also be computed from the child’s observed performance age and the child’s chronological age, adjusted for prematurity.

After obtaining the Provence Protocol score, the assessment team needs to take into account qualitative aspects of the child’s performance and performance on certain “marker” skills for the child’s age group to decide again whether the child’s development is “competent” or “of concern” and, if the latter, the level of concern.

Interpretability: The manual provides a general guideline on how to interpret the results and what should follow based on the results.

Training Support: Training materials are available to help professionals train others on the administration of the IDA. Materials consist of a Leader's Guide and three videos. These materials are not meant to be a "self-study" course for individuals trying to learn IDA. The Erikson Institute also provides training. For more training options, visit www.erikson.edu/.

Adaptations/Special Instructions for Individuals with Disabilities: IDA meets the criteria for assessment as required by the regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Report Preparation Support: The Manual gives instructions on how to share findings and develop a plan with parents in Phase Six, “Share Findings, Completion, and Report.”

References:

Provence, S., J. Erikson, S. Vater, and S. Palmeri. Infant-Toddler Developmental Assessment (IDA) Administration Manual. Itaska, IL: Riverside Publishing, 1995.

www.erikson.edu/