CSBS-DP Infant/Toddler Checklist
Description of the Checklist
The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant/Toddler Checklist is designed to measure the following 7 language predictors have been identified:
- Emotion and Use of Eye Gaze,
- Use of Communication,
- Use of Gestures,
- Use of Sounds,
- Use of Words,
- Understanding of Words, and
- Use of Objects.
The Checklist is a first step in routine developmental screening for children 6 to 24 months of age to decide if a communication evaluation is needed. It is designed for use in pediatricians' offices during well-child check-ups or routine visits or in childcare centers or other facilities serving infants and toddlers and their families. The Checklist is to be completed by a caregiver, who may be either a parent or other person who nurtures the child on a daily basis. The Checklist takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. For caregivers who cannot answer the questions by reading them or writing the responses, the questions may be presented in an interview format with adequate explanations to clarify what is being asked.
The Checklist is one component of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales - Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP) developed by Wetherby and Prizant (2001). The purpose of the CSBS-DP is twofold: first, for early identification of children who have or are at-risk for developing a communication impairment; and second, to monitor changes in a child's communication, expressive speech, and symbolic behavior over time. Three components make up the CSBS-DP, each designed to measure the 7 language predictors described above:
- a one-page Checklist completed by a parent in a doctor's office or child care facility;
- a four-page follow-up Caregiver Questionnaire (CQ); and
- a Behavior Sample (BS), taken while the child interacts with a parent present.
The Checklist and CQ provide important information about the child's abilities based on caregiver report. The BS uses a standard but flexible format for sampling and evaluating behavior from young children. Preliminary national norms are available on children between the ages of 6 and 24 months (Wetherby & Prizant, 2001). The CSBS-DP is available from Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. at www.brookespublishing.com.
The Checklist can be used independently or along with the other components of the CSBS-DP. The Checklist is copyrighted (Wetherby & Prizant, 2001) but remains free for use and can be downloaded from the Internet and freely photocopied or duplicated by other methods. Files that include the Checklist and the Child and Family Information Form are available on the FIRST WORDS Project website to download from http://firstwords.fsu.edu. The Checklist should be completed by families or other caregivers and scored by healthcare or childcare service providers.
You can download a PDF version of the Infant/Toddler Checklist of Communication Development and the Child and Family Information Sheet by clicking here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available from Adobe.
CSBS-DP Infant/Toddler Checklist (pdf file)
CSBS-DP Infant/Toddler Checklist in Spainish (pdf file)
CSBS-DP Infant/Toddler Checklist in Slovenian (pdf file)
CSBS-DP Infant/Toddler Checklist in Chinese (pdf file)