Developmental Profile 3

By Dr. Gerald Alpern

Published by Western
Psychological Services

Purposes of the DP-3

Evaluate a childs development in five key areas:

Physical
Adaptive Behavior
Social-Emotional
Cognitive
Communication

Gain valuable parent input about the childs

functioning.
Quickly screen children from birth through age 12
years, 11 months.
Provide intervention recommendations for each
skill measured by the DP-3.

A Multidimensional Screening Tool

Useful for many purposes, including:

Screening for developmental problems

Responding to parental or teacher concerns
Determining areas of strength and weakness
Contributing to determination of eligibility for
special education or other services (the five
scales meet IDEA guidelines for assessing
development delay)
Helping plan I.E.P.s
Measuring progress over time

DP-3 Improvements

Norm-referenced standard scores based

on a nationally representative sample.
Updated item content and scale names.
Extended age range.
Expanded interpretation guidelines.
Availability of the Parent/Caregiver
checklist.

The DP-3 Measures 5 Domains

Physical

Adaptive Behavior

Large- and small-muscle coordination, strength, stamina,

flexibility, and sequential motor skills.

Ability to cope independently: eat, dress, work, use

technology, and take care of self and others.

Social-Emotional

Interpersonal functioning, social and emotional

understanding, and ability to relate to friends, relatives, and
adults.

The DP-3 Measures 5 Domains (contd)

Cognitive

Communication

Intellectual abilities and skills necessary for academic

achievement.

Expressive and receptive communication skills, including

written, spoken, and gestural language.

Administration of the DP-3 can include one, a few, or all 5

scales.
If all 5 scales are used, the General Development Score can be
calculated as an index of overall development.

Administration is Easy

Takes 20-40 minutes.

For each item, the respondent indicates whether
or not the child has mastered the skill in question
by answering yes or no.
Two parallel formats: the Interview Form and the
Parent/Caregiver Checklist.

The same content but the wording is changed to fit the

respondent.
The Interview Form is a one-on-one clinician
administered interview of the parent/caregiver and is
the preferred method of administration.
The Parent/Caregiver Checklist does not require the
clinician to be present and is useful when time or
resources are limited.

Comparing the two formats

Sample Interview items

Sample Checklist items

P16. Does the child stack

S26. Does the child

G5. Does the child imitate a

(make a tower of) eight

objects such as blocks?

a tower of eight things, such

as blocks?

consider the preferences

and interests of friends
when planning shared play
activities?

physical gesture made by an

adult, such as pointing?

P16. Does your child make

S26. Does your child

consider what friends want

to do when planning
activities with friends?

G5. Does your child imitate

something an adult does,
such as pointing?

Scoring the DP-3

Hand and computer scoring available.

Hand scoring is quick.

Computer scoring provides:

Add up the total number of yes responses for each scale

and convert the raw scores to standard scores using tables
in the manual.
Score calculation and description
Graphical representation of scores
Scale Pattern Analysis and Scale-by-Scale Item Analysis
Individualized intervention activities
Clinician and Parent Reports

A sample computer report can be found at: www.wpspublish.com/pdf/dp3.pdf

Types of DP-3 Scores

The DP-3 provides many types of scores

and interpretation:

Norm-referenced standard scores

(recommended for all DP-3 uses)
Confidence intervals
Descriptive categories
Percentile ranks
Age equivalents
Stanines

Strong Psychometric Characteristics

Standardized on 2,216 children ages birth

through 12 years, 11 months.
Relevant demographic characteristics
(gender, ethnicity, region, and parent
education level) closely match the U.S.
Census.
Reliability:

Median internal consistency: .89 to .97

Test-retest reliability: .81 to .92

Strong Psychometric Characteristics,

contd

Validity highlights:

DP-3 scores correlated at expected levels with:

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition

(Vineland-2; Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005)

Developmental Test for Young Children

(DAYC; Voress &

Maddox, 1998)

Peabody Developmental Motor Skills, Second Edition

(PDMS-2; Folio & Fewell, 2002)

Preschool Language Scales, Fourth Edition

(PLS-4;

Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002)

The DP-3 differentiates between typically

developing children and those with a clinical
problem.

Support for Intervention

Results linked to intervention activities.

Suggestions for parents, teachers, or clinicians to
help children in areas of difficulty.
Focus on maintaining the childs self-concept
while teaching new skills.
Example:

P16. Encourage continued skill with stacking objects:

Once the child has mastered the skill of stacking three

objects, it will generally increase to include additional
objects. While he or she is playing happily, bring over some
blocks and make a tower of at least one or two additional
objects, encouraging the child to copy what you are doing.
You can turn it into a game wherein you alternate copying
one another.

For More Information contact

Western Psychological Services

www.wpspublish.com
800-648-8857
12031 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025