Mental health articles

Developmental assessment
On some occasions, in particular with a toddler or older child, and depending on the observations and the history given by the parents, a developmental assessment may be required to detect any developmental issues affecting sleep.
The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley, 1993) and the Griffiths
Mental Development Scales (Griffiths, 1984) are two such assessments.
Both scales examine a range of skills and behaviours from one month to 42
months (Bayley Scales) and to eight years (Griffiths). The behaviours include
eye–hand coordination, fine motor skills, verbal and language skills, simple
problem solving, memory and gross motor skills.
The Bayley Scale has two scales in the assessment, the Mental and the Motor,
each of which gives a standardised numerical score, the Mental Development
Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). There is also a
Behavioural Rating Scale (BSR), which assesses the infant’s capacity for
regulating state, social engagement, emotional regulation and the quality of
motor behaviours.
The Griffiths Scales have five scales—locomotor, personal–social, hearing
and speech, eye and hand coordination, and performance. Once scored, a profile
of the child’s behaviour indicates strengths as well as areas of difficulty for the child.
Both scales give an indication of the infant’s competencies and emerging
skills. Areas of difficulty for the child that may contribute to sleep problems can be identified and shared with the parents. The scales give an indication of the child’s current developmental status and are not found to be predictive of later development.