Group Differences in Developmental Domains: A Retrospective Comparative Study Based on Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory Subscales

Abstract

Aim: Specific language impairment (SLI), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and general developmental delay (GDD) are common diagnoses for speech delay in children under the age of six. These disorders may show differences in areas of development. This study aimed to compare Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory (ADSI) subscale results among the three groups.
Material and Methods: 2926 patient records were reviewed, and 602 patients who were first-time applicants and had a full ADSI result, diagnosed with SLI, ASD, and GDD, were included in the study.
Results: SLI developmental results were found to be higher than ASD and GDD in all domains, and no significant difference was found between ASD and GDD except in the gross motor domain. When ages were divided into intervals, it was found that in children aged 0-23 months, all developmental domains were lower in the GDD group, but there was no difference between SLI and ASD. SLI developmental results were found to be higher than ASD and GDD in all developmental domains, and no significant difference was found between ASD and GDD in the other four age intervals including children aged 24-71 months.
Conclusions: Although showing some variations according to age ranges, ADSI developmental domains in the SLI group differed from those in other groups. To clarify the potential distinguishing features of ADSI, further prospective studies using formal diagnostic performance analyses are required.

Keywords

• ADSI
• autism
• developmental delay
• specific language impairment

References

1. 1. Lai MC, Lombardo M V, Baron-Cohen S. Autism. Lancet. 2014;383:896–910. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61539-1.
2. 2. Reilly S, Tomblin B, Law J, McKean C, Mensah FK, Morgan A, et al. Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom? Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2014;49:416–51. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12102.
3. 3. Bélanger SA, Caron J. Evaluation of the child with global developmental delay and intellectual disability. Paediatr Child Health. 2018;23(6):403–10. doi:10.1093/pch/pxy093.
4. 4. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Developmental surveillance and screening patient care [Internet]. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2023. [cited 2023 May 05]. Available from: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/developmental-surveillance-and-screening-patient-care/
5. 5. Squires J, Bricker D, Potter LW. Revision of a parent-completed development screening tool: Ages and Stages Questionnaires. J Pediatr Psychol. 1997(3);22:313–28. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/22.3.313.
6. 6. Glascoe FP. Collaborating with parents: Using Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status to detect and address developmental and behavioral problems. Nashville, TN: Ellsworth & Vandermeer Press; 1998.
7. 7. Jeong SU, Kim GC, Jeong HJ, Kim DK, Hong YR, Kim HD, et al. The validity of the Bayley-III and DDST-II in preterm infants with neurodevelopmental impairment: a pilot study. Ann Rehabil Med. 2017;41(5):851-7. doi:10.5535/arm.2017.41.5.851.
8. 8. Rah SS, Jung M, Lee K, Kang H, Jang S, Park J, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis: real-world accuracy of children’s developmental screening tests. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022;62(10):1095-109. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2022.12.014.

9. 9. Savaşır I, Sezgin N, Erol N. Ankara gelişim tarama envanteri el kitabı. Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi. 1995.
10. 10. Agarwal PK, Shi L, Daniel LM, Yang PH, Khoo PC, Quek BH, et al. Prospective evaluation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3rd Edition in very-low-birthweight infants. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017;59:484–9. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13307.
11. 11. Limbos MM, Joyce DP. Comparison of the ASQ and PEDS in screening for developmental delay in children presenting for primary care. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2011;32:499–511. doi:10.1097/DBP.0b013e31822552e9.
12. 12. Kim SW, Jeon HR, Jung HJ, Kim JA, Song JE, Kim J. Clinical characteristics of developmentally delayed children based on interdisciplinary evaluation. Sci Rep. 2020;10:8148. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64875-8.
13. 13. Dan B. Sex differences in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2021;63(5):492. doi:10.1111/dmcn.14853.
14. 14. Kaşak M, Efe A, Çelik YS, Macit ŞS, Gökmen ÜB. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of cases diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the Etlik City Multidisciplinary Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center (ÇÖZGEM). Eurasian J Med. 2025;57(2):1-9. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2025.24748.
15. 15. Shevell M, Majnemer A, Platt RW, Webster R, Birnbaum R. Developmental and functional outcomes in children with global developmental delay or developmental language impairment. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005;47(10):678-83. doi:10.1017/S0012162205001386.
16. 16. Özyurt G, Eliküçük ÇD. Comparison of language features, autism spectrum symptoms in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, developmental language delay, and healthy controls. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2018;55(3):205-10. doi:10.5152/npa.2017.19407.
17. 17. McPhillips M, Finlay J, Bejerot S, Hanley M. Motor deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-syndrome study. 2014;7(6):664-76. doi:10.1002/aur.1408.
18. 18. Kim SW, Jeon HR, Park EJ, Chung HJ, Song JE. The differences in clinical aspect between specific language impairment and global developmental delay. Ann Rehabil Med. 2014; 38(6):752-8. doi:10.5535/arm.2014.38.6.752.
19. 19. Geurts HM, Embrechts M. Language profiles in ASD, SLI, and ADHD. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008; 38(10):1931-43. doi: 10.1007/s10803-008-0587-1.
20. 20. Burns J, Phung R, McNeill S, Hanlon-Dearman A, Ricci MF. Comorbidities affecting children with autism spectrum disorder: a retrospective chart review. Children (Basel). 2023;10(8):1414. doi:10.3390/children10081414.
21. 21. Shan L, Feng JY, Wang TT, Xu Z Da, Jia FY. Prevalence and developmental profiles of autism spectrum disorders in children with global developmental delay. Front Psychiatry. 2022;12:794238. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.794238.
22. 22. Diepeveen FB, van Dommelen P, Oudesluys-Murphy AM, Verkerk PH. Children with specific language impairment are more likely to reach motor milestones late. Child Care Health Dev. 2018;44:857–62. doi:10.1111/cch.12614.
23. 23. Sanjeevan T, Rosenbaum DA, Miller C, van Hell JG, Weiss DJ, Mainela-Arnold E. Motor issues in specific language impairment: a window into the underlying impairment. Curr Dev Disord Reports. 2015;2:228–36. doi:10.1007/s40474-015-0051-9.
24. 24. Chen S, Zhao J, Hu X, Tang L, Li J, Wu D, et al. Children neuropsychological and behavioral scale-revision 2016 in the early detection of autism spectrum disorder. Front psychiatry. 2022;13:893226. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.893226.
25. 25. Thomas RP, Milan S, Naigles L, Robins DL, Barton ML, Adamson LB, et al. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay in children with low mental age. Clin Neuropsychol. 2022;36(5):1028–48. doi:10.1080/13854046.2021.1998634.