The CAT/CLAMS assessment for early intervention services. Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale.

The Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) is a relatively new test of language, problem-solving abilities, and visual-motor skills for children ages 0 to 36 months of age. This instrument was compared to the Bayley Mental Developmental Index (MDI), the generally accepted standard of infant developmental tests. This study evaluates 328 normal children tested in infancy and then at 18 and 30 months of age. Specificity was excellent (95% to 100%) at both 18- and 30-month levels when compared to the Bayley MDI. Sensitivity, however, was 21% at the 18-month level and 67% at the 30-month level. Predictive validity (.65) and within-test validity (.69) are good. The CAT/CLAMS compares favorably with the Bayley MDI assessment of children between 18 and 30 months of age and can be used for clinical assessment of toddlers referred for development assessment prior to admission to early intervention programs.