Abstract

The "Test de aprendizaje y Desarrollo Infantil" (TADI) is a developmental screening scale for children aged 6 to 72 months, designed in Chile. Objective: To determine the validity of the first edition of the TADI at the population level. Methodology: Secondary psychometric analysis of a sample of 11,283 Chilean children who participated in the 2012 Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey (ELPI). Convergent validity was assessed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and verified by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Social variables were considered for construct validity. For concurrent validity, sensitivity, specificity, and correlation we used as references the Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Second Edition (BDI-2) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Results: Out of the children evaluated, 12.6% were categorized in the Delay or at Risk for Delay category, and 17.3% in the Alert category. The CFA showed good levels of fit of the proposed model to the scale data, particularly in older age groups. The EFA revealed different patterns for different age ranges. The TADI correlated significantly with socioeconomic factors, such as the presence of learning materials in the home, the educational level of the main caregiver, economic income, and the mother's emotional response. Data analysis showed moderately positive correlation of the TADI with the BDI2 and the PPVT, with sensitivity and specificity values close to 0.70 when including the Alert category. Conclusions: The adequate psychometric values of the TADI in a population-based sample ratify its validity as a screening instrument for the development of young children in Chile.