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Assessment of Cognitive and Language Abilities in Toddlers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparison of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition
Objectives: Examine convergent validity of the nonverbal cognitive, receptive language, and expressive language subscales on the Mullen and Bayley Scales in toddlers with and without ASD.
Methods: The Mullen and Bayley scales were administered to participants from 12-42 months of age who were seen for a research or clinical assessment due to a diagnostic question of ASD, as well as typically developing (TD) controls. Data has been collected on 11 individuals to date, with expectations of 50 participants by April 2014. ASD diagnosis was determined through a full evaluation including cognitive and diagnostic measures (i.e., Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)), as well as behavioral observations and parent interviews.
Results: Toddlers with ASD had lower standard scores on both the Mullen and Bayley scales than TD controls. Preliminary results across the sample indicate strong correlations for standard scores and age equivalence scores for the Mullen and Bayley nonverbal cognitive, receptive language, and expressive language subscales (r's>0.8, p's<=0.001). However, for some TD and ASD participants, scores on any particular subscale differed by more than one standard deviation, though performance was not consistently greater for one test versus the other.
Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest, unlike the Esler et al (2009) findings, good concordance between the Mullen and Bayley nonverbal cognitive, receptive language, and expressive language scales when examining a sample that includes toddlers both with and without ASD. Indeed, correlations between the Mullen and Bayley scales were similar to the test-retest correlations for each of the individual measures. Differences in participants' level of functioning between the current and Esler studies may explain this variability. Analyses based on specific diagnostic group are ongoing. Research studies often examine cognitive or language performance on the Mullen as a predictor or covariate in paradigms of behavior or brain function in ASD versus TD individuals. Results suggest that these findings in research settings may translate to toddlers seen through community practices that rely on the Bayley scales.
See more of: Intellectual and Behavioral Assessment and Measurement