Teachers' role in identifying young children at risk for developmental delay and disabilities: Usefulness of the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status tool

Background Identifying children with developmental delays and disabilities more effectively will require the participation of others such as preschool teachers who often have extended contact with the child in their first few years. We wished to determine how preschool teachers' reports of concerns compared with norming data from the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS). Methods A total of 1,357 English responses from teachers of nine preschool centres were analyzed and matched with expected rates of concerns from the U.S. norming sample. Results The preschool teachers' reporting of rates of concerns fell within the range of scores reported in norming studies from parent reports in the United States. Teachers were most concerned about children's language and behaviours. Conclusions The preschool teacher reports of concerns are similar to expected parents PEDS ratings in the United States. Preschool teachers can screen children's development. There may be a role for the PEDS to be used as a developmental screener by preschool teachers for monitoring of developmental status. Further studies on the PEDS are recommended in the Singapore context.