Examination of Research on Developmental Delay, Identification, and Early Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 91 - 107, 30.06.2025

S. Seda Bapoğlu Dümenci , Berna Sicim Sevim

Abstract

Early intervention has been described as a systematic and deliberate effort to encourage development by influencing environmental or experimental factors. These interventions are initiated within the first five years of life. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in studies encompassing early intervention, developmental delay, and diagnosis. However, bibliometric studies on this topic remain limited. This article aims to analyze research on early intervention, developmental delay, and diagnosis published on the Web of Science (WoS). The analysis and visualization of selected documents were conducted using VOS viewer. A bibliometric analysis of 390 academic studies published between 1991 and 2023 was performed, with one study excluded, resulting in the examination of a total of 389 articles. Most of these articles cover areas such as pediatrics, developmental psychology, and related fields. The year 2022 was identified as having the highest number of publications and citations for articles published since 1991. One of the most cited articles focuses on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder. The country with the highest number of article publications is the United States. Overall, the five most used keywords in the research are 'early intervention, developmental delay, early diagnosis, autism, and screening.

Keywords

Early intervention , Developmental delay , Identification.

Ethical Statement

In this study, early intervention studies were examined using the bibliometric analysis method. Therefore, there is no situation in the study that requires ethical committee approval. Competing Interests: The author declares that they have no competing interests.

Supporting Institution

there are not any supporting institutions

Thanks

I am pleased to submit my article titled "Examination of Research on Developmental Delay, Identification, and Early Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis" for evaluation by your journal. In this study, research on the early diagnosis of developmental delays and the implementation of effective intervention strategies is addressed. I believe that this review, which emphasizes participatory research methods, will contribute to improving educational processes, especially in the early stages of education. The article has been prepared in accordance with the purpose and scope of your journal to enhance the understanding of participatory research in education. I believe that the findings and perspectives presented in this study will be valuable to the readers of your journal. Thank you for evaluating this article. Sincerely,

References

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• Bağış, M. (2021). Main analysis techniques used in bibliometric research. İçinde O. Öztürk & G. Gürler (Ed.), Bibliometric analysis as a literature review tool (2. baskı). Nobel Scientific Works.
• Bellman, M., Byrne, O., & Sege, R. (2013). Developmental assessment of children. British Medical Journal, 346, 31–35. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e8687
• Chen, J., Li, H., Zhong, D., Xu, F., Ding, L., Tang, C., ... & Deng, J. (2023). A bibliometric analysis of acupuncture for neurodevelopmental disorders: A Call for increased output and future research priorities. Heliyon, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22799
• Choo, Y. Y., Agarwal, P., How, C. H., & Yeleswarapu, S. P. (2019). Developmental delay: Identification and management at primary care level. Singapore Medical Journal, 60(3), 119. https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2019025
• Christensen, D. L., Baio, J., & Braun, K. V. (2016). Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years — Autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries, 65(3), 1–23. http://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6503a1
• Delgado, C. E., Vagi, S. J., & Scott, K. G. (2007). Identification of early risk factors for developmental delay. Exceptionality, 15(2), 119-136. https://doi.org/10.1080/09362830701294185
• Division of Early Childhood/National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
• Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
• Faruk, T., King, C., Muhit, M., Islam, M. K., Jahan, I., Kamran, U. B., ... & Khandaker, G. (2020). Screening tools for early identification of children with developmental delay in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038182
• Garcia-Orozco, D., Espitia-Moreno, I. C., Alfaro-Garcia, V. G., & Merig, O. J. M. (2020). Sustainability in Mexico: A bibliometric analysis of the scientific research field presented in the last 28 years. Inquietud Empresarial, 20(2), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117090
• Giarelli, E., Wiggins, L. D., Rice, C. E., Levy, S. E., Kirby, R. S., Pinto-Martin, J., & Mandell, D. (2010). Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children. Disability and Health Journal, 3(2), 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.07.001
• Goldfeld, S., & Yousafzai, A. (2018). Monitoring tools for child development: An opportunity for action. Lancet, 6(3), 232–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30040-8
• Gunay-Aygun, M., Schwartz, S., Heeger, S., O'Riordan, M. A., & Cassidy, S. B. (2001). The changing purpose of Prader-Willi syndrome clinical diagnostic criteria and proposed revised criteria. Pediatrics, 108(5), E92. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.108.5.e92
• Guo, X. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of child language during 1900–2021. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 862042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.862042
• Hadadian, A., & Koch, K. R. (2013). Issues in labeling young children with developmental delay: Whose responsibility is It?. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 5(2), 187-199. https://doi.org/10.20489/intjecse.107932
• Hadders-Algra, M. (2011). Challenges and limitations in early intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 53(S4), 52–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04054.x
• Kajikawa, Y., Ohno, J., Takeda, Y., Matsushima, K., & Komiyama, H. (2007). Creating an academic landscape of sustainability science: An analysis of the citation network. Sustainability Science, 2, 221-231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-007-0027-8
• Maulik, P. K., & Darmstadt, G. L. (2007). Childhood disability in low-and middle-income countries: overview of screening, prevention, services, legislation, and epidemiology. Pediatrics, 120, 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-0043B
• McBee, M. T., Peters, S. J., & Waterman, C. (2014). Combining scores in multiple-criteria assessment systems: The impact of combination rule. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(1), 69-89. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862135137
• Merigo, J. M., Gil-Lafuente, A. M., & Yager, R. R. (2015). An overview of fuzzy research with bibliometric indicators. Applied Soft Computing, 27, 420–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2014.10.035
• Moeller, M. P. (2000). Early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Pediatrics, 106(3), e43. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.106.3.e43
• Poon, J. K., Larosa, A. C., & Shashidhar Pai, G. (2010). Developmental delay: Timely identification and assessment. Indian Pediatrics, 47, 415-422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-010-0077-3
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• Shevell, M. I., Majnemer, A., Rosenbaum, P., & Abrahamowicz, M. (2001). Profile of referrals for early childhood developmental delay to ambulatory subspecialty clinics. Journal of Child Neurology, 16(9), 645-650. https://doi.org/10.1177/088307380101600904
• Shonkoff, J. P., & Meisels, S. J. (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of early childhood intervention (2. baskı). Cambridge University Press.
• Singh, P., & Anekar, U. (2018). The importance of early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(2), 233–237.
• Soto, S., Linas, K., Jacobstein, D., Biel, M., Migdal, T., & Anthony, B. J. (2015). A review of cultural adaptations of screening tools for autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 19, 646–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361314541
• UNICEF. (2013). The state of the world’s children, 2013: Children with disabilities. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
• Vitrikas, K., Savard, D., & Bucaj, M. (2017). Developmental delay: When and how to screen. American Family Physician, 96(1), 36-43.
• Wallace, S., Fein, D., Rosanoff, M., Dawson, G., Hossain, S., Brennan, L., ... & Shih, A. (2012). A global public health strategy for autism spectrum disorders. Autism Research, 5, 211–217. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1236
• Xu, F., Xu, J., Zhou, D., Xie, H., & Liu, X. (2022). A Bibliometric and visualization analysis of motor learning in preschoolers and children over the last 15 Years. Healthcare, 10(8), 1415. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10081415