A.R.I.C.D. Association of Research in Infant and Child Development

The Scales measure development trends which are significant for intelligence, or indicative of functional mental growth in babies and young children from birth to a developmental age of eight years.

There are two sets of Scales, one for each age group, 0-2 years and 2-8 years.  Within the 0-2 year Scales, a profile is obtained from five subscales examining Locomotor, Personal-Social, Language, Eye-and-Hand Coordination and Performance.  In the 2-8 year Scales, this profile is expanded to add a Practical Reasoning Subscale.  Illuminating diagnostic clarification may be obtained from consideration of a child’s subscales profile and from the construct analysis of  individual scales.

The apparatus consists of a number of pieces of attractive, culturally transferable items, chosen for their appeal to young children, carefully standardised and packed into a small durable carrying case; there is a different set of apparatus for each age group.  Descriptions of frequency distributions and general validity of the Scales are provided.

In 1996, a comprehensive revision of the Griffiths 0-2 year Scales was published.  The revision team, headed by Dr Michael Huntley (then Chief Psychologist at the Wolfson Centre, Institute of Child Health, London) carried out a complete restandardization of the Scales, adding 8 new items to the equipment and introducing a revised Record Booklet.

A major internationally re-standardised version of the Griffiths 2-8 year Scales, the GMDS-ER, was published in May 2006, with British Isles statistical analysis.  A number of item changes have been introduced.  The new equipment for the items is available in an “update kit”.  The Administration manual, Analysis manual and Record Books have been substantially improved.  They provide easy-to-follow, unambiguous assessment guidance, simplified percentile and z-score ratings and concise recording formats which are ideal for consecutive assessments such as in chronic disorders or neonatal follow-up programmes.

The Scales are widely used for both clinical and research purposes.  Clinical use of the Scales is restricted to psychologists and developmental paediatricians.  Training courses are organised and run throughout the UK and in many overseas countries by the Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (ARICD).