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Type of Measure: The Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC) is a comprehensive screening instrument for children under the age of 5 that evaluates cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional development as well as family risk factors (parental depression, conflict, or substance abuse, and hunger). The SWYC is comprised of several parts, which broadly assess three domains of child functioning: 1) development, 2) emotion/behavior, and 3) family context. Users are encouraged to review the manual and training resources prior to use.

Target Population: Children under the age of 5; Age specific forms are available for children ages 1 - 65 months

Measurement properties and previous use: Items contained in the SWYC were written and adapted based on previously validated screening tests and expert opinion. It is comprised of the Developmental Milestones Questionnaire, Family Questions Questionnaire, Parent’s Observations of Social Interactions (POSI), Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC), Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC), and two items on parent concern. Developers provide reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity information on some or all components of the SWYC, which was based on various psychometric evaluation techniques. Individual measurement properties are discussed in greater detail on each respective instrument’s page (see “Link to Measures” below).

Languages: English, Spanish, Burmese, Nepali, and Portuguese (see Translations).

Authors and Citation:
Sheldrick, R.C. & Perrin, E.C. (2013) Evidence-based milestones for surveillance of cognitive, language and motor development. Academic Pediatrics. 13(6):577-86. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2013.07.001.

Sheldrick, R.C., Henson, B.S., Neger, E.N., Merchant, S., Murphy, J.M., & Perrin, E.C (2012). The Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC): Development and initial validation of a new social-emotional screening instrument. Academic Pediatrics. 2013 13(1):72-80. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2012.08.003. Epub 2012 Oct 23. epub ahead of print Oct 20 2012. PMID:23092547.

Sheldrick, R.C., Henson, B.S., Merchant, S., Neger, E.N., Murphy, J.M., & Perrin, E.C (2012). The Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC): Development and initial validation of a new social-emotional screening instrument. Academic Pediatrics, 12(5):456-67. PMID: 22921494.

Smith, N, Sheldrick, R.C., Perrin, E.C. (2012). An abbreviated screening instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Infant Ment. Health J.. doi: 10.1002/imhj.21356. E-pub July 26, 2012.

Sheldrick, R.C., Neger, E., Perrin, E.C. (2012). Concerns about development, behavior & learning among parents seeking pediatric care. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 33(2); 156-160.

Sheldrick, R.C., Merchant, S., Perrin, E.C (2011). Identification of developmental-behavioral disorders in primary care: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 128:356-363, PMID 21727101.

Sheldrick, R.C., Perrin, E.C (2009). Surveillance of children’s behavior and development: Practical solutions for primary care. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 30:151-3. PMID 19363367.

Licence: All survey components are freely available for use, per the Survey of Wellbeing of Children’s FAQ website. It cannot be modified without expressed permission of the authors. If you are interested in translating the SWYC into a new language or administering it in a way for which the downloadable forms are not appropriate, please contact Kate Mattern at: theswyc@gmail.com.

Link to measures: Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC)
Developmental Milestones Question Set (SWYC Milestones)
Parent Observations of Social Interactions (POSI)
Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC)
Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC)

Corrections or updates? Let us know!