In brief: The Denver II (DDST-II) is a tool for screening children’s overall development; it is not an autism-specific test and cannot diagnose on its own. Research findings can vary according to the language adaptation used, the sample, and the comparison criteria.
What Does the Denver II Screen For?
According to the official publisher information, the Denver II is designed for children aged 0–6 and contains 125 items across the personal-social, language, fine-motor, and gross-motor domains. The screening result indicates whether a more comprehensive assessment may be needed; it is not a diagnosis. Hogrefe product information
South Korean Studies
In Shin et al.’s 2005 study, 113 children referred to a hospital rehabilitation department for developmental assessment were evaluated using the Korean Denver II and the Bayley-II. Against the Bayley-II mental-development criterion, sensitivity was 0.87 and specificity was 0.62; for the psychomotor criterion, sensitivity was 0.83 and specificity was 0.51. The overall correct-classification rate was 79.6%. These figures apply to the selected clinical sample and cut-offs used in the study; they cannot be directly applied to the general population or to autism diagnosis. Korean Denver II validity study
Another Seoul paper published in English in 2024 is a translated or secondary publication of the standardization study for the original Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), published in 1987. The study was conducted with 2,140 children in 1985–1986; however, it concerns the earlier DDST, not Denver II. The two instruments should not be treated as if they were supported by the same evidence. Seoul standardization of the original DDST
Studies from China
In this search, I could not confirm a study directly assessing the validity or reliability of the Denver II in mainland China. This does not mean that no such study exists in China; only that I did not find a reliable source during this round of research. The 1994 standardization study that appeared in the search results was conducted in Singapore and should not be presented as Chinese data. Singapore study
Findings from Other Adaptation Studies
A 2010 study in Tehran examined the Persian DDST-II in 221 children aged 0–6. The authors judged the adaptation’s overall validity and reliability positively; however, agreement between the Denver II and the ASQ was 0.21, while agreement with physicians’ assessments was 0.44. These findings should be interpreted only in relation to the Persian adaptation and sample studied. Full text of the Iranian study
The abstract of a 2022 psychometric study of the Brazilian version reported very good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, with concurrent validity ranging from moderate to very strong. These findings apply to the Brazilian adaptation and cannot automatically be transferred to the Turkish version. Brazilian version study
A 2022 study in Turkey used the DDST-II to examine neuromotor development and certain variables in healthy children aged 0–6. The fact that a test is used in research in Turkey does not, by itself, establish that a Turkish adaptation or norms have been developed. Study conducted in Turkey
A separate study published in 2023 rated the Denver II’s accuracy for distinguishing the risk of future developmental coordination disorder in children aged 2–4 as “moderate.” This finding does not indicate how well the test diagnoses autism. Developmental coordination disorder study
How Should the Evidence Be Interpreted?
Findings from different countries depend on the translation and cultural adaptation, sample, test version, and comparison measure. It would therefore be inaccurate to speak of one universal “Denver II accuracy rate.” Results from one country cannot automatically be generalized to another. The Denver II is also a general developmental screening tool, not an autism-specific screening or diagnostic tool. General developmental screening and autism-specific screening serve different purposes. CDC screening guidance
Can the Test Form Be Found as a PDF?
I could not find a freely available, complete test-form PDF that was both official and authorized. Hogrefe’s product page states that access to materials requires proof of eligibility and that test users must meet qualification requirements. I did not include third-party copies because I could not verify permission to share them. The downloadable PDF below is not the test items, administration instructions, or scoring sheet; it is a brief summary of the academic findings cited in this article.
Sources
- Shin et al., 2005 — Korean Denver II validity study
- Lee, 1987 / 2024 — original DDST standardization in Seoul
- Shahshahani et al., 2010 — Persian DDST-II
- Santos et al., 2022 — Brazilian version
- Doğan et al., 2022 — DDST-II use in Turkey
- Christovão et al., 2023 — DCD risk
- Hogrefe — test materials and user qualifications
- CDC — developmental and autism-specific screening
This article is for general information only; it is not intended for administering the test, interpreting scores, or making a diagnosis.
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