Objective: To compare the relationship of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd Edition (K-BSID-III) language score and the Sequenced Language Scale for Infant (SELSI) score and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of K-BSID-III language score and optimal cutoff value with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in infants and toddlers with delayed language development.
Methods: A total of 104 children with suspected language developmental delay were included in this retrospective study. Subjects were tested using the K-BSID-III and SELSI and subdivided into several groups according to the severity of language scores. ROC curve analysis was performed to assess K-BSID-III for delayed language development.
Results: Receptive and expressive language subscales of the K-BSID-III showed markedly significant correlation with the SELSI scores (p<0.001). ROC analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.877 (p<0.001) in SELSI receptive score and 0.935 (p<0.001) in SELSI expressive score. The optimal cutoff value where sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 81% were achieved with the K-BSID-III receptive score was 1.50 (between average and low average) in the SELSI receptive score. The optimal cutoff value where sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 82% were achieved with the K-BSID-III expressive score was also 1.50 in the SELSI expressive score.
Conclusion: In this study, the correlations between K-BSID-III and SELSI language scores were statistically significant. However, the interpretation should be considered carefully in low average group due to tendency of underestimation of delayed language development.
Keywords: Expressive language; K-BSID-III; Language development; Receptive language; SELSI.