Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, PsyD (Cermak Health Services)
Description: This book describes the Bayley 4, an instrument for infant and toddler assessment, and discusses its administrative, scoring, and interpretive issues. Sample cases provide information about Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 findings. It is part of the Academic Press series, "Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional."
Purpose: According to the book, it "provides clinicians with a guide for use, administration, scoring, and interpretation of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition." These are worthy objectives, which the book meets.
Audience: The book does not give specific information regarding the target audience. In my opinion, it is written for clinicians and graduate students in psychology. The book meets the needs of its intended audience. The author is a very credible authority in the subject matter of the book. According to information in the foreword and introduction, Glen P. Aylward is co-developer of the Bayley-4. He is associate editor of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and director of the NICU Follow-up Program. He has worked with children for over 45 years.
Features: The book begins with an overview of how various developmental processes such as canalization, neuronal plasticity, and critical periods relate to developmental assessment. The Bayley test was revised due to the previous edition being too lengthy; however, caregivers can provide important information to decrease the number of test items. This instrument has five different scales: cognitive scale, language scale, motor scale, adaptive behavior scale, and social-emotional scale. The scoring and interpretation encompass three levels. The author differentiates between accommodations and modifications. Clinicians should be aware of abnormal signs as the test proceeds. The Bayley 4 normative samples include a number of disabilities including Down syndrome, motor impairment, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and drug/alcohol exposure. There are sample cases that show how Level 1, Level 11, and Level 111 scores can be reported. The author provides important ways to give feedback to parents/guardians. The book ends with a description of the Bayley 4 Screening Test. The book is very readable, with figures that help clarify the text. There are no obvious shortcomings.
Assessment: This book is excellent because it is a primer into the theory, administration, scoring, and interpretation of the Bayley 4. The author is a co-developer of the Bayley 4, with over four decades of experience working with children. The case examples are extremely helpful. This book should be in the libraries of psychometricians who work with young children.
