The Capute Scales
How can clinicians better diagnose developmental delays in young children?
The Capute Scales help differentiate between communicative and cognitive disorders
The Capute Scales are designed to help clinicians determine the presence of atypical development in two streams of cognitive development: visual-motor functioning and expressive and receptive language. The language battery of the test—CLAMS (Clinical Linguistic & Auditory Milestone Scale)—relies almost exclusively on parental history in the first 18 months of life and then on a combination of parental history and clinical observation. The visual-motor problem-solving battery—CAT (Cognitive Adaptive Test)—requires direct observation of a child performing specific test items during the assessment.
CLAMS was originally developed to provide pediatricians with a scale of linguistic and auditory milestones that can be rapidly applied within the constraints of a busy practice. CAT provides clinicians a means of distinguishing isolated language delays or communication disorders from more global cognitive impairments.
The Capute Scales were developed by Dr. Arnold J. Capute, the founding father of neurodevelopmental pediatrics, and have been tested and refined at the Kennedy Krieger Institute for more than 30 years.
Ask the parents what age their child acts and begin testing with questions or observations at two age sets below the estimated cognitive age
Query the parents about the child’s language milestones and observe the child with the testing kit objects, following the explicit guidance in The Capute Scales Manual. Continue through the test items until you reach the child’s ceiling age (the highest level at which he or she has any correct responses)
Score the scales to produce 3 separate numbers: (1) an age level in months for language, (2) an age level in months for visual-motor skills, (3) a total Capute Scales score. Follow instructions for interpretation
Use the results of The Capute Scales to identify the possibility of cognitive disabilities, language disorders, hearing impairment, or autism spectrum disorders and recommend appropriate next steps
At a glance
What is it?
A norm-referenced, 100-item screening and assessment tool that helps experienced practitioners identify developmental delays in children from 1–36 months of age.
What are the components?
The complete system includes
- the Capute Scales manual
- 4-page scoring sheets
- the test kit, packed in a tote bag
Who completes it?
How long does it take to complete?
About 6- to 20-minutes
What does the instrument tell you?
The tests help pinpoint any instance of delay (a slower rate of milestone acquisition), deviancy (any unusual development within a specific stream), and dissociation (an uneven rate of milestone acquisition)
How can you use the results?
With its high correlation with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, this standardized instrument will assist clinicians in making developmental diagnoses, counseling families, and guiding them to appropriate intervention services