Identification of prognostic markers of developmental delay in 5-year-olds

Abstract

This article is a continuation of our previous publication dedicated to 4-year-old children. This article presents an analysis of the factor structure of abilities of 5-year-old children with scales elaboration which differentiate most accurately typically developing children of this age ("Norm") and children with developmental delay ("DD"). The sample of the research consisted of 604 children (527 of Norm and 53 of DD group). To identify points which most significantly separate groups ("Norm" and "DD") stepwise procedures of discriminant and factor analysis were used with subsequent verification of the reliability of isolated factors-scales and eventually the predictive model was constructed using SEM. As a result, a set of predictors was selected, which are reliable markers of DD of 5year-olds. The set of these predictors broadly coincides with the predictors for 4-year-olds and includes the following main components (in descending order of their contribution to the prediction): "Logical judgment", "Motor Skills", "General awareness". Scales corresponding to these components form a general scale in conjunction with age which allows precise indicating DD’ "risk group". As a result of standardization, test standards were developed for this general scale which demonstrates high sensitivity of the prediction of DD (90.9%) when the value of the specificity of the Norm prediction is 94%. The final conclusion is that the only predictor of the diagnosis (Norm or DD) is G-factor, the indicators of which are the selected scales. The opportunity of using the obtained standards for the rapid identification of the "risk group" for further differential diagnosis among 5-year-olds is proposed.