Introduction to DP4

Technical Properties of DP4

Development and Standardisation of DP4

The DP-4 retains the core elements of its predecessors while adding features that strengthen an instrument already considered the best of its kind. It is a powerful, quick, and cost-effective developmental test that can help you:

Quickly identify strengths and weaknesses

Compare development in different key areas

Plan intervention with item-by-item teaching activities

Determine eligibility for special education

Write IEP goals

Determine specific areas for further assessment

Monitor progress over time

What’s new in the DP-4? 

Upgraded with a broader age range.

Updated items reflect changes in society, technology, and culture.

New growth scores monitor progress over time.

Updated norms based on a new, nationally representative standardisation sample.

Two new forms (Teacher Checklist and Clinician Rating) strengthen overall evaluation.

Updated items to accommodate children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

The DP-4 evaluates children’s functioning in just 20 to 40 minutes. It features:

Norms-based standard scores

Clear interpretive guidelines

Strong reliability and validity, as demonstrated by empirical studies

Online administration, scoring, and reporting (in addition to traditional print forms)

With the WPS Online Evaluation System, you can administer the DP-4 virtually anywhere, score and report instantly, and create customised intervention plans. It allows you to spend less time testing and more time helping children reach their potential.

Like previous versions, the DP-4 measures development across five scales:

Physical: Large- and small-muscle coordination, strength, stamina, flexibility, and sequential motor skills

Adaptive Behaviour: Ability to cope independently with the environment—to eat, dress, work, use current technology, and take care of self and others

Social–Emotional: Interpersonal skills, social–emotional understanding, functioning in social situations, and manner in which the child relates to peers and adults

Cognitive: Intellectual abilities and skills prerequisite for academic achievement

Communication: Expressive and receptive communication skills, including written, spoken, and gestural language

How It Works

The DP-4 is a comprehensive assessment instrument with a simple yes-or-no response format that includes 190 test items, each describing a particular skill. The respondent indicates whether or not the child has mastered the skill in question. Within each of the five scales on the interview form, start and stop rules are used, so you don’t have to administer all items. Each scale has its own norms, so you don’t have to use all five scales if you’re interested in just one area of development. Additionally, there’s an intervention activity for every item.

Four forms offer flexible administration:

Parent/Caregiver Interview Form

Parent/Caregiver Checklist

Teacher Checklist

Clinician Rating

Three forms (Parent/Caregiver Interview, Parent/Caregiver Checklist, and Teacher Checklist) provide standard scores and growth scores. The Clinician Rating provides growth scores for monitoring progress.

Available through the WPS Online Evaluation System, this option offers unmatched flexibility, convenience, and customisation features. Traditional print forms are also available.

Applications and Uses

The DP-4 can be used for a wide range of referral questions related to child development. It’s a great way to investigate puzzling behaviour, respond to parental concerns, or follow up on teacher observations. The test can lead to answers even when you only have a hunch that the child may have a problem. The DP-4 can be completed by multiple raters to provide a more complete picture of how the child displays skills in different settings.

Because the DP-4 meets federal criteria for evaluating children with developmental concerns, it’s useful in helping determine eligibility for special education as well as developing IEPs. Its five scales correspond to the five domains specified in IDEA for assessing developmental delays.

The DP-4 is an excellent way to identify developmental strengths and weaknesses. Its norms-based standard scores allow you to compare children’s functioning with that of their peers and design interventions that meet their particular needs. The growth scores allow for monitoring their progress over time.