Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire as Screening Measures for Children in India: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Due to the limited availability of suitable measures, screening children for developmental delays and social–emotional learning has long been a challenge in India. This scoping review examined the use of the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), PEDS: Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM), and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) with children (<13 years old) in India. The scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Protocol to identify primary research studies that examined the use of the PEDS, PEDS:DM, and SDQ in India between 1990 and 2020. A total of seven studies for the PEDS and eight studies for the SDQ were identified for inclusion in the review. There were no studies using the PEDS:DM. Two empirical studies used the PEDS, while seven empirical studies used the SDQ. This review represents the first step in understanding the use of screening tools with children in India.