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What are the benefits of monitoring development? Is the ndds available in other languages? Is the ndds appropriate for different cultures? What is the correct way to administer the ndds with families? How do I explain the ndds to parents? What areas of development are being checked? Do we adjust the ndds for prematurity? Are there Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Autism indicators included on the ndds? Where can I get help with feeding my newborn? My 15-month baby says num-num and brmm-brmm, are these real words? Does my child have to say the exact sounds on item 4 of the 18 month checklist? Can you explain item 16 on the Two Year Old checklist? I'm a parent/caregiver, where can I get more information after I've completed the ndds? How are the activity sheets to be used? If I live in Ontario, Canada can the checklist and activities be photocopied? If I live outside Ontario, Canada can the checklist and activities be photocopied? Can I incorporate the ndds into other documents (calendars, books, etc.)?
The ndds is a short checklist of some of the most important skills that a child should master by a particular age. The ndds is not a diagnostic tool and it is not meant to be a formal assessment of the child's skills -- but rather a quick survey to determine any areas that may require some extra help. It was drafted by a multi-disciplinary group who wanted to provide early identification and assistance to children with developmental needs. To learn more, click on About ndds. The Board of Directors of the ndds did a review of the items on the developmental checklist because of new research and best practices that have been published and adopted since our last revision in 2000. Our hope is that it will give families an even better tool for monitoring their child's development. What are the benefits of monitoring development? The ndds helps parents:
Is the ndds available in other languages? The checklists are currently available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Russian and Farsi. Numerous other languages are being developed. Is the ndds appropriate for different cultures? The items are sensitive to the varying cultural values in child rearing and allow for alternate experiences. Some items have been marked with a double asterisk ** to indicate the item may not be common to all cultures. In some situations, developmental differences may reflect the culturally based experiences that the child has had, rather than indicate a delay. In these situations it is important to respect the family's culture. Discussion with the family may provide a teaching opportunity, but not necessitate a referral. Speech and language skills are specific to a child's first language. Caution must be taken when interpreting "no" responses when the checklist administered is not in the child's first language. It may be necessary to seek the advice of a speech-language pathologist. Our checklist has the advantage of being informal with the flexibility to choose more culturally relevant examples and situations. What is the correct way to administer the ndds with families? The checklist can be administered in a variety of ways such as:
How do I explain the ndds to parents? The ndds is often explained as a quick and easy checklist of skills typically observed in children of this age. It requires a "yes" or "no" answer and it will help to identify whether or not your child is developing as expected. What areas of development are being checked?
To find out more about these areas of development visit developmental markers. I noticed that on the new ndds (2011) the instructions say, if you answer "no" to any question you recommend follow-up but on the previous ndds it says, "two or more". Why was this changed? The 2 or more “no” responses was implemented as a result of a previous validation study. Current research supports follow-up on any “no” responses. The ndds has always maintained that any “no” warranted discussion and possible follow-up. Refer to #3 on the instructions Do we adjust the ndds for prematurity? Consult with your health care professional before completing this checklist if your child was born prematurely. Are there Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Autism indicators included on the ndds? The ndds is not intended for diagnosing any condition including Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Autism. It is intended to identify children with delays in any area of development. There are items built into the checklist that should prompt further investigation. Where can I get help feeding my newborn If you are answering "no" to question 4 on the one month or question 9 on the two month checklist, please consult with your healthcare professional, Public Health Unit or Lactation consultant who will be able to assist you with these questions or any other concerns you may have. My 15-month baby says num-num and brmm-brmm, are these real words? Yes, these are consistent utterances that are recognized by adults most familiar with the baby. E.g. "num-num" for food and "brmm-brmm" for car. The words do not have to be clear. Why did the item change on the 18 month checklist to increase the number of words that a child says from 5 to 20 words? Speech and language delays are the most frequently occurring among young children. It is important that children with a suspected delay are referred to a Speech-language Pathologist. The research supporting this change indicates that at 18 months of age the average child was reported to produce approximately 85 words. Remember that these words include animal sounds and sound effects and do not have to be clearly articulated. (Reference: Fenson,L., Marchman, V.A., Thal, D.J., Dale, P.S., Reznick, J.S., Bates, E (2007) MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventories: Users guide and technical manual. Baltimore: Paul. H. Brookes Publishing Co.) Does my child have to say the exact sounds on item 4 of the 18 month checklist? The sounds indicated are only examples. The intent of the item is that the child makes at least 4 different consonant sounds. Listen for any sounds that are common in your child and family's first language. Question 1 on the Three Year Old checklist asks: Does your child speak clearly all of the time? What does that mean? "Speaking clearly all of the time" means that the child is understandable or easy to understand; it does not mean that the articulation of specific speech sounds is perfect. I thought I was always supposed to put my baby on his back. Why is the ndds telling me to put him on his tummy? Though childcare providers are told to put babies on their backs to sleep, it is important for babies to have playtime on their tummies. This is how they strengthen their muscles and learn to hold their heads up. Of course, babies need to be supervised during play. Can you explain item 16 on the Two Year Old checklist? Use skills already learned and develop new ones: Children build on skills they already have. It warrants further investigation if a child stops using words that they have mastered, or shows an increase in tripping and falling, or stops walking when he/she has been able to walk. Any loss of skills should be discussed with a healthcare professional. Considering the growing evidence for conservative management of otitis media why does the ndds on the 18 month checklist include the message "I may get ear infections. Talk to my doctor about signs and symptoms"? As you may be aware the ndds has recently been revised. On the previous checklist we had the question, "Does your child have healthy ears"? We moved the item over to the activities so that this can become a "teachable moment" in discussing current management with the family. It may also bring up discussion with regards to a toddler that has had numerous infections and noted delays in the speech items. I'm a parent/caregiver, where can I get more information after I've completed the ndds? Contact your local health care or childcare professional. We use the ndds in our childcare facility regularly. Our practice is to complete the ndds in the childcare and then meet with the parent to review the results. Recently we have met with a parent who strongly disagreed with our findings. What should we do? You are on the right track, meeting with all parents to talk about the ndds results. The ndds is a checklist that is meant as a point of discussion with the parents, so if they have observed something that you haven't or likewise if you have observed something that they haven't, together you create a more realistic view of what the child can do. It is important to remember that children may perform differently in different environments. You should also indicate to them that it is not a pass/fail test, but just a guideline. How are the activity sheets to be used? The "Activities for Your Baby/Child" section is intended to provide parents and other caregivers with information and activities to enhance their infant or child's development. Each activity is coded with an icon to represent a primary area of development. If parents have questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any activity for their infant or child they should contact a healthcare or childcare professional. If I live in Ontario, Canada can the checklist and activities be photocopied? Ontario residents can download and photocopy the free for Ontario version of the checklists and activities found on the ndds website. This is possible due to a Licensing Agreement with the Province of Ontario. However, any completed checklist may be photocopied to be placed in a child's file or chart. If I live outside Ontario, Canada can the checklist and activities be photocopied? The ndds is licensed and protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaty. Purchase or other use of the checklists indicate agreement to be bound by the terms of the Product License. Therefore, blank checklists and activity sheets cannot be reproduced in any form. However, a completed checklist may be photocopied to be placed in a child's file or chart. Can I incorporate the ndds into other documents (calendars, books, etc.)? All requests for the ndds to be incorporated into other documents must be submitted in writing to info@ndds.ca for consideration. |
e: info@ndds.ca
t: (705) 472-9211 or 1-888-582-0944
f: (705) 472-9588