MMDST

Metro Manila Developmental

Screening Test

DMSF College
 Theories of development
• Intellectual/cognitive Development – Jean Piaget

• Emotional Development – Erik Erikson

• Development of Sexuality – Sigmund Freud

• Moral Development – Lawrence Kohlberg

• Spiritual/Faith development – James Fowler

 Overview

• It is an early detection model that applies

to the detection of developmental
disabilities in children aged six & a half
years old and younger
• Developed by Dr. William K. Frankenburg &
associates in 1967 for the Denver children.
• Modified & adapted by Dr. Phoebe D.
Williams on Metro Manila Children
 Overview
• Design for health professionals such as
nurses, doctors and health workers so that
slow development may be recognized,
referrals made & appropriate therapy
prescribed as soon as possible.
• It is a SCREENING test.
• It is intended as a screening instrument to
determine whether a child’s development is
within normal range.
 Overview
• It is NOT an intelligence test

• It is NOT a diagnostic test

• It is NOT a predictor of future adaptive

or intellectual ability.
 MMDST Kit
• Bright red yarn (pom-pom)
• Rattle with a narrow handle
• Eight 1-inch colored wooden blocks (red, blue,
yellow, green)
• Small clear glass/bottle with 5/8 inch opening
• Small bell with 2 ½ inch-diameter opening
• Rubber ball 12 ½ inches in diameter
• Cheese curls
• Pencil and bond paper
 The Test form
• 4 Aspects of child’s development
evaluated by MMDST/DDST

• (1) Personal – Social

»Task which indicate the child’s
ability to get along with people
and to take care of himself/
herself.
 4 Aspects of child’s development
evaluated by MMDST/DDST

• (2) Fine Motor Adaptive

»Task which indicate the child’s
ability to see and to use his
hands to pick up objects and to
draw.
 4 Aspects of child’s development
evaluated by MMDST/DDST

• (3) Language
»Task which indicate the child’s
ability to hear and follow
directions and to speak.
 4 Aspects of child’s development
evaluated by MMDST/DDST

• (4) Gross Motor

»Task which indicate the child’s
ability to sit, walk and jump.
 Test Procedure
• Establish rapport with the mother/ caregiver
• Make the child as comfortable as possible
• Calculate the child’s age
• Draw the age line
• Select the items to be administered
• Administer the test
• Score the results
• Interpret test results
• Explain overall interpretation of test result to
parent or caregiver
 Test Scores

• Passed ( P )

• Failed ( F )

• Refused ( R)

• No Opportunity ( NO )
 Calculating the child’s age
– This is the first step and will be the
basis for drawing the age line later and
determine the test items to be
administered.
– Ask for the birth date of the child and
calculate the exact age using this
formula:
• Date of test minus birth date equals age
of child; calculate first the days, then
months and then years.
• Example:
Birth date : March 10, 2004
Date of Test: June 20, 2006

Year Month Day

Date of test 06 06 20

Birth Date -04 - 3 -10

____________________________
Age of child 02 3 10

Therefore the age of the child is 2 years 3 months and 10 days

• Borrowing
Date of test: Feb. 5, 2006
Birth date: March 10, 2004

Year Month Day

Date of test 06 02 05

Birth date -04 -03 -10

____________________________
Age of child 1 10 25

Therefore the age of the child is 1 year 11 months and 25

days
 Adjustment for
prematurity
• Make adjustments if the child is 2
years or younger.
• Subtract the number of weeks of
prematurity.
• If more than 2 years it is no longer
necessary to compensate for
prematurity.
 Selecting items to be
administered
All items crossing the age line should be
administered

The child should have a minimum of three

passes to the left of any failure; and

Each sector should have at least three

passes and three failures.
 Scoring delays in
development

• An example of no opportunity is in
the item – pedals tricycle. If the
child has never had an opportunity to
try a tricycle then the item should be
scored as no opportunity and not
failed or refused.
 Scoring delays in
development

• Scores is to be written on the 50%

hatch mark.

• A test item that is failed and which

falls completely to the left of the
age line is considered a delay.
 Scoring delays in
development
• Delays on the test form are
emphasized by shading the right end
of the bar of the delayed item.

• If the age line touches the right end

of the bar, the item is not
considered a delay.
 Interpreting test results

*The MMDST result is interpreted as:

NORMAL
QUESTIONABLE
ABNORMAL
UNTESTABLE
Follow these simple steps:
• Step 1 – Mark each delay by heavily
shading the right end of the bar;
• Step 2 – Count the number of
sectors that have 2 or more delays;
• Step 3 – Count the number of
sectors that have 1 delay with no
passes intersecting the age line in
the same sector;
• Step 4 – Interpret the result using
the following criteria.
 Discussing test result

• Overall interpretation of test results should be

given to parent in general terms.

• If the child has done well – praise and reassure

the parent the child is developing as he/she
should be.

• If the child has a number of delays remind them

it is a screening test and you would like to test
the child again within approximately 2 weeks.
Thank you !!!
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