Original Research

Early detection of communication delays with the PEDS tools in at-risk South African infants

Jeannie van der Linde, De Wet Swanepoel, Linique Hanekom, Tasha Lemmer, Karla Schoeman, Frances P. Glascoe, Bart Vinck
African Journal of Disability | Vol 5, No 1 | a223 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v5i1.223 | © 2016 Jeannie van der Linde, De Wet Swanepoel, Linique Hanekom, Tasha Lemmer, Karla Schoeman, Frances P. Glascoe, Bart Vinck | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 02 September 2015 | Published: 08 April 2016

About the author(s)

Jeannie van der Linde, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
De Wet Swanepoel, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia
Linique Hanekom, Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Tasha Lemmer, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Karla Schoeman, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Frances P. Glascoe, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, United States of America
Bart Vinck, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Ghent University, Belgium

Abstract

Background: Prevalence of communication delays or disorders is increasing, possibly because of various environmental risk factors. Selection and implementation of effective screening tools are important to detect at-risk infants as early as possible. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), PEDS-Developmental Milestones and PEDS tools to detect communication delays in infants (6–12 months) in a South African primary healthcare context.

Method: A comparative study design evaluated the accuracy of the PEDS tools to detect communication delays, using an internationally accepted diagnostic assessment tool, the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale (RITLS). A convenience sample of 201 infants was selected at primary healthcare clinics.

Results: Expressive and receptive language sensitivity scores were low across all three screens(ranging between 14% and 44%). The PEDS tools had high sensitivity (71%) and specificity (73%) ratings for the receptive and expressive language and socio-emotional domain in combination.

Conclusion: In the sample population, the PEDS tools did not accurately detect receptive and expressive language delays; however, communication delays in general were identified. Future research determining accuracy of the PEDS, PEDS-Developmental Milestones and PEDS tools for children aged 2–5 years in detecting communication delays should be prioritised.


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