Korean Developmental Screening Test for Infants and Children (K-DST): development, applications, and implications for future early childhood development interventions

Abstract

Evidence of the importance of early childhood development (ECD) has transformed child health monitoring and screening tools. Development of the Korean Developmental Screening Test for Infants and Children (K-DST) has expanded the applications of child health screening to a large number of infants and children in Korea and is contributing to the early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders and delivery of timely interventions. The previous screening tool (Korean Ages and Stages Questionnaire) raised some concerns, as its lack of consideration of the cultural background of the Korean population can lead to inaccurate or imprecise diagnoses. The K-DST, a tailored tool for Korean infants and children, is a simple and cost-efficient solution for child health monitoring and screening. This review focuses on the development and role of the K-DST in ensuring ECD. Here we review use of the K-DST for ECD screenings and discuss the best strategy for its use in other countries.