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Standardized Assessment of Cognitive Development: Instruments and Issues

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Early Childhood Assessment in School and Clinical Child Psychology

Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

    Kirsten M. Ellingsen

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  1. Kirsten M. Ellingsen
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Correspondence to Kirsten M. Ellingsen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Advanced Studies in Psychology, Kean University, Hillside, New Jersey, USA

    Adrienne Garro

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Ellingsen, K.M. (2016). Standardized Assessment of Cognitive Development: Instruments and Issues. In: Garro, A. (eds) Early Childhood Assessment in School and Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6349-2_2

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