The Battelle Developmental Inventory®, 3rd Edition (BDI-3®) is a standardized, individually administered assessment of key developmental skills in children from birth through age 7 years. The BDI-3® was published in the fall 2020 and represents a revision to the earlier version. Even experienced examiners should review the Examiner’s Manual for a highlight of changes.
Of specific note in this statement is starting points and basal and ceiling rules:
For each subdomain, the administration should begin at the appropriate starting point: the item associated with the child’s chronological age indicated in the BDI-3® Record Form. The examiner may decide to begin at the starting point for a lower age level based on information obtained from sources, such as parents, caregivers, and teachers, that indicates a suspected or identified special need or disability. However, standardized procedures still must be followed, specifically basal and ceiling rules. The basal is reached when the child scores 2 on the three consecutive lowest-numbered items administered. Similarly, the ceiling rule is reached when the child scores 0 on the three consecutive highest-numbered items administered.
When using BDI-3® Mobile Data Solution, scoring is based on the standardized administration procedures. Scores obtained by not following the standardized administration outlined in the Examiner’s Manual and provided in trainings by Riverside Insights may be different. Relying on scores obtained while not following the standardized administration to make determinations, qualifications, or recommendations are at the sole discretion of the agency, organization, or district. The following scenario explains what happens when a false ceiling is reached and how the subdomain should be scored.
