Aim: To explore the clinical utility and psychometric properties of standardized tools for the early detection of developmental concerns or disability in young children.Method: Systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines containing psychometric data on tools appropriate for use with children from birth to 5 years 11 months were searched for in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO for the years 2000 to 2023, with no language restrictions.Results: Eighty‐six systematic reviews and six clinical practice guidelines guided identification of tools. A total of 246 tools were identified across domains of neurological, motor, cognition, communication/language, social–emotional, sensory processing, and/or specific diagnostic conditions of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. After critical evaluation, 67 tools were included in the recommendations. Recommendations for screening and diagnostic assessment tools were based on best available evidence for predictive and discriminative validity, diagnostic accuracy, together with consideration of resource use and accessibility.Interpretation: This comprehensive scoping review provides recommendations on the best tools for primary care, medical, allied health professionals, nursing, and other health workers to detect and identify developmental concerns or disability in young children using evidence‐based tools.

Introduction Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability with rates approximately 50% higher in First Nations Australian children. This study aims to evaluate a culturally-adapted parent-delivered early intervention programme for First Nations Australian infants at high risk of CP (Learning through Everyday Activities with Parents for infants with CP; LEAP-CP). Methods and analysis This study is a randomised assessor masked controlled trial. Infants with birth/postnatal risk factors will be eligible for screening. Infants at high risk of CP (‘absent fidgety’ on General Movements Assessment, and/or ‘suboptimal score’ on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) aged 12–52 weeks corrected age will be recruited. Infants and their caregivers will be randomised to receive LEAP-CP (intervention) or health advice (comparator). LEAP-CP is a culturally-adapted programme of 30 home visits delivered by a peer trainer (First Nations Community Health Worker); and includes goal-directed active motor/cognitive strategies, CP learning games and caregiver educational modules. The control arm receives a monthly health advice visit, based on the Key Family Practices, WHO. All infants continue to receive standard (mainstream) Care as Usual. Dual child primary outcomes are Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) and Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III. The primary caregiver outcome is the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Secondary outcomes include function, goal attainment, vision, nutritional status and emotional availability. Sample size: total of 86 children (43/group) will enable an effect size of 0.65 on the PDMS-2 to be detected (80% power, α=0.05; 10% attrition). Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval through Queensland ethics committees and Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisation Research Governance Groups, with families providing written informed consent. Findings will be disseminated with guidance from the Participatory Action Research, in collaboration with First Nations communities; peer-reviewed journal publications and national/international conference presentations. Trial registration number ACTRN12619000969167p.

Introduction Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), are characterised by impaired development of the early central nervous system, impacting cognitive and/or physical function. Early detection of NDD enables infants to be fast-tracked to early intervention services, optimising outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants may experience early life factors increasing their risk of neurodevelopmental vulnerability, which persist into later childhood, further compounding the health inequities experienced by First Nations peoples in Australia. The LEAP-CP prospective cohort study will investigate the efficacy of early screening programmes, implemented in Queensland, Australia to earlier identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants who are ‘at risk’ of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (NDO) or NDD. Diagnostic accuracy and feasibility of early detection tools for identifying infants ‘at risk’ of a later diagnosis of adverse NDO or NDD will be determined. Methods and analysis Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants born in Queensland, Australia (birth years 2020–2022) will be invited to participate. Infants aged <9 months corrected age (CA) will undergo screening using the (1) General Movements Assessment (GMA); (2) Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE); (3) Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA) and (4) Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Aboriginal adaptation (ASQ-TRAK). Developmental outcomes at 12 months CA will be determined for: (1) neurological (HINE); (2) motor (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2); (3) cognitive and communication (Bayley Scales of Infant Development III); (4) functional capabilities (Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test) and (5) behaviour (Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment). Infants will be classified as typically developing or ‘at risk’ of an adverse NDO and/or specific NDD based on symptomology using developmental and diagnostic outcomes for (1) CP (2) ASD and (3) FASD. The effects of perinatal, social and environmental factors, caregiver mental health and clinical neuroimaging on NDOs will be investigated. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been granted by appropriate Queensland ethics committees; Far North Queensland Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC/2019/QCH/50533 (Sep ver 2)-1370), the Townsville HHS Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QTHS/56008), the University of Queensland Medical Research Ethics Committee (2020000185/HREC/2019/QCH/50533) and the Children’s Health Queensland HHS Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/20/QCHQ/63906) with governance and support from local First Nations communities. Findings from this study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Trial registration number ACTRN12619000969167.

Aim: To determine reproducibility of the Motor Optimality Score–Revised (MOS‐R) to assess infants at high risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cerebral palsy (CP), autism, and developmental delays.Method: Thirty infants (18 males, 12 females, gestational age mean [range] = 32.5 [23–41] weeks) were randomly selected, according to 2‐year outcome (typically developing; CP; or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome [ad‐NDO]) from a prospective cohort. Participants had two General Movements videos between 12 weeks and 15 + 6 weeks corrected age. Six assessors, masked to history and outcomes, independently scored the MOS‐R from videos. Assessors scored either one (Group 1; n = 3) or two videos for each infant (Group 2; n = 3). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Gwet's agreement coefficient, and limits of agreement were calculated.Results: Combined interassessor reliability (IRR) over six assessors for total MOS‐R was ‘fair’ (ICC = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41–0.72), and ‘excellent’ with consensus agreement (ICC = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99). Analyses demonstrated a mean interrater difference of 0.316 (95% limits of agreement −11.51, 12.14) over 450 comparisons (15 pairs). IRR was ‘moderate’ to ‘almost perfect’ across subcategories, with the highest reliability ‘movement patterns’ (Gwet's agreement coefficient = 0.73–1.00) and the lowest ‘postural patterns’ (0.45–0.73). Assessors who scored two videos (Group 2) demonstrated higher reproducibility. IRR for total MOS‐R was ‘excellent’ when infants were typically developing (ICC = 0.90), and ‘good’ for CP (0.74) and ad‐NDO (0.68).Interpretation: The MOS‐R is a highly reproducible tool for assessing infants at high risk of ad‐NDOs and is feasible for implementation in clinical settings. Reproducibility is best when the tool is used by experienced assessors to gain consensus agreement.

To implement a culturally-adapted screening program aimed to determine the ability of infant motor repertoire to predict early neurodevelopment on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) and improve Australian First Nations families' engagement with neonatal screening. A prospective cohort of 156 infants (55 % male, mean (standard deviation [SD]) gestational age 33.8 (4.6) weeks) with early life risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (ad-NDO) participated in a culturally-adapted screening program. Infant motor repertoire was assessed using Motor Optimality Score-revised (MOS-R), captured over two videos, 11-13⁺⁶ weeks (V1; <14 weeks) and 14-18 weeks (V2; ≥14 weeks) corrected age (CA). At 4-9 months CA neurodevelopment was assessed on the HINE and classified according to age-specific cut-off and optimality scores as; developmentally 'on track' or high chance of either adverse neurodevelopmental outcome (ad-NDO) or cerebral palsy (CP). Families were highly engaged, 139/148 (94 %) eligible infants completing MOS-R, 136/150 (91 %), HINE and 123 (83 %) both. Lower MOS-R at V2 was associated with reduced HINE scores (β = 1.73, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-2.42) and high chance of CP (OR = 2.63, 95%CI = 1.21-5.69) or ad-NDO (OR = 1.38, 95%CI = 1.10-1.74). The MOS-R sub-category 'observed movement patterns' best predicted HINE, infants who score '4' had mean HINE 19.4 points higher than score '1' (95%CI = 12.0-26.9). Receiver-operator curve analyses determined a MOS-R cut-off of <23 was best for identifying mild to severely reduced HINE scores, with diagnostic accuracy 0.69 (sensitivity 0.86, 95%CI 0.76-0.94 and specificity 0.40, 95 % CI 0.25-0.57). A trajectory of improvement on MOS-R (≥2 point increase in MOS-R from 1st to 2nd video) significantly increased odds of scoring optimally on HINE (OR = 5.91, 95%CI 1.16-29.89) and may be a key biomarker of 'on track' development. Implementation of a culturally-adapted program using evidence-based assessments demonstrates high retention. Infant motor repertoire is associated with HINE scores and the early neurodevelopmental status of developmentally vulnerable First Nations infants.

Aim: To determine the predictive relationship between evidence‐based screening tools and neurodevelopmental outcomes in Australian First Nations infants. Method: This prospective cohort study invited First Nations families to participate in a culturally adapted early developmental screening programme. A total of 156 infants (55.1% male, mean gestational age = 33.6 weeks, SD = 4.6) were screened using the Prechtl's General Movements Assessment, with optimality scoring using the Motor Optimality Score‐Revised (MOS‐R) at 3 to 5 months and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) at 4 to 9 months. Participants completed ‘baby movement (BM) checks’ at two time points (BM1, 3–5 months corrected age; BM2, 4–9 months corrected age), with final movement and learning checks at 12 months corrected age. At 12 months corrected age, standardized motor, cognitive, and communication assessments, neurodisability‐specific symptomology, or a diagnosis made by a paediatrician classified infants as developing typically (‘on track’) or (1) with a high chance of or confirmed cerebral palsy (CP) or (2) non‐CP neurodevelopmental delay (NDD), including autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Predictive relationships were investigated using logistic regression and diagnostic statistics. Results: At 12 months, 127 of 147 (86%) eligible infants ( n = 9 withdrawn or deceased) were classified as ‘on track’ ( n = 55, 43%), NDD ( n = 59, 47%), or CP ( n = 13, 10%). MOS‐R (≥ 14 weeks) and the HINE distinguished infants as ‘on track’, CP, or NDD. [Correction added on 1 November 2025 after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, “MOS‐R (≥ 14 weeks). The HINE distinguished infants…” has been updated to “MOS‐R (≥ 14 weeks) and the HINE distinguished infants…”.] Each 1‐point decrease on both tools increased the odds of NDD (OR _MOS‐R = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00–1.96; OR _HINE = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.05–1.21) and CP (OR _MOS‐R = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.08–2.01; OR _HINE = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.21–1.65,). The MOS‐R (cut‐off of less than 23) and HINE (moderate to severely reduced) were best for identifying any NDD and CP (MOS‐R: sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 38%; HINE: sensitivity = 64%, specificity = 63%). Combined trajectories across both tools were the strongest predictors of CP (sensitivity = 73%, specificity = 96%), autism (sensitivity = 59%, specificity = 95%), and FASD (sensitivity = 89%, specificity = 93%). Interpretation: Evidence‐based screening tools demonstrate promising transdiagnostic prediction of ‘on‐track’ development and not only high chance of CP but also autism, FASD, and other NDDs.