1. United States and UK See Rise in Early Childhood Assessment
In the United States, the American Board of Pediatrics reports that an approximate
14 percent of young children suffer from some form of developmental disability.
The numbers are similar in the United Kingdom. As testing for these disorders
become more focused during the formative years, the number of accurately
diagnosed cases continues to rise in both countries.
Standardized testing of basic skills, previously implemented only in the later years
of elementary and secondary education, has become a necessity in pinpointing
early developmental problems during the first few years of life. Various
assessments are useful in both predicting and diagnosing developmental disorders.
Certain tests are aimed specifically at identifying one type of disorder in particular,
such as the broad spectrum of disabilities included in the category of autism. Other
tests, which have become more popular in early childhood education centers, are
geared more toward identifying general cognitive and behavioral problems so that
further testing can lead to a direct diagnosis.
In the United Kingdom, children as young as two years old are now administered
compulsory developmental assessments. This portion of a recent government
intervention hopes to aid in the detection of underdevelopment in children before
elementary school is even an option. This initiative is founded, in part, upon the
proof that earlier diagnosis does, in fact, positively impact both the children and
their families for an indefinite amount of time.
As mandated by UK government officials, this new advance requires that early
childhood education centers provide all parents and legal guardians with progress
reports on a regular basis. Testing will assess a child's cognitive ability, checking
for delays in skills associated with major sensory development, social skills, and
the ability to effectively communicate with others in their environment. While not
graded in the same way that standardized tests are graded, these regular checks will
assist in diagnosing problems in children so that further action may be taken if
necessary.
As England begins to enforce early developmental testing, the United States
continues to place an increasing amount of emphasis on its own education system.
President Obama's ideas for improving early preparation in preschool students
include developmental testing for children prior to kindergarten.
Because parents are often unaware of developmental problems in their own

2. children, the increase in standardized assessments in early education will serve to
aid in accurate detection years earlier than previously thought possible. Children
younger than one year of age have been correctly identified as at risk for a variety
of mental and physical disorders with the implementation of these tests, providing
families and special education teachers with an advantage in the teaching process.
After test results have been examined and a learning disability or disorder is
suspected, a professional therapist, psychologist, or special education instructor
can move forward with the child in a way that is tailored specifically to that child's
individual needs. This may save years of questioning and searching (as well as
substantial amounts of money) for the child's family and the education system as a
whole.