Griffiths Developmental Scales – Chinese Edition Mentor Conference Held in Shanghai, Launches '1,000 Pediatricians' Training Initiative
In late October, jointly hosted by the Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (ARICD), the Expert Committee of the Griffiths Developmental Scales – Chinese Edition (GDS-C), and Changhe Medical2018 Griffiths Mentor Conference in ChinaHeld in Shanghai. The mentor conference was attended by more than 30 renowned experts and scholars from the departments of child health care, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, and pediatric rehabilitation at prestigious medical institutions in Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Jilin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as from organizations such as the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment and the Institute of Sports Science of the General Administration of Sport of China.
List of Selected Attendees
Professor Paula, President of the British Society for Infant and Child Development Research
Professor Xu Xiu, Director of the Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University
Professor Jiang Fan, Vice Dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Party Secretary of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center
Director Zhang Yiwen, Department of Child Health Care, Shanghai Children's Medical Center
Professor Du Qing, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Xinhua Hospital
Professor Li Yan, Vice President of Kunming Medical University
Professor Li Ming, Director of the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Peking University First Hospital
Professor Zhang Xin, Deputy Dean of the School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University
Professor Du Kaixian, Director of the Department of Pediatric Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
Professor Chen Wei, Deputy Director of the Department of Child Health Care
Professor Tong Meiling, Director of the Department of Child Health Care, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital
Professor Li Haifeng, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Professor Zhao Dongmei, Director of the Child Health Care Institute, Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University
Professor Lin Jun, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Wuhan Children's Hospital
Professor Zhong Yan, Director of the Child Health Care Institute, Hunan Children's Hospital
Professor Zou Xiaobing, Director of the Center for Adolescent Growth and Development and Mental Health at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Professor Cheng Qian, Director of the Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
Professor Chen Yanni, Vice President of Xi'an Children's Hospital
Dr. Du Qiaoxin, Outpatient Department, China National Research Center for Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation
Researcher Wang Huan from the China Institute of Sport Science, General Administration of Sport of China; Professor Lin Huifen from the Hong Kong Child Development Specialist Centre
According to Professor Xia Xiaoling, a renowned domestic pediatric expert and Chair of the Expert Committee for the Chinese Version of the Griffiths Developmental Scales, since the publication of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales in 1970, medical institutions worldwide have gradually adopted this assessment tool. It has demonstrated excellent reliability, validity, and responsiveness in clinical practice, progressively becoming one of the three major global standards and diagnostic tools for child development assessment.Griffiths Scales of Child DevelopmentThe Chinese version is the first and, to date, the only set of international gold-standard tools that have been revised and localized according to Chinese standards, established with Chinese norms, possess complete intellectual property rights, and are suitable for the developmental assessment and diagnosis of Chinese infants, toddlers, and children aged 0 to 8 years.
Since 2016, the Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (ARICD), the copyright holder of the Griffiths Scales of Child Development, and Hogrefe Ltd., the global publisher and rights holder, have jointly authorized Changhe Medical as the sole designated agent for sales, after-sales service, and certified training of the Chinese version of the Griffiths Scales of Child Development in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Together, they promote the Chinese edition of the Griffiths Scales. Over the past two years, the Griffiths Registered Assessor certification training program has expanded nationwide, establishing close collaborations with authoritative pediatric institutions and experts in 18 provinces and municipalities. These efforts provide developmental assessment and diagnostic services for Chinese children and facilitate various research projects. To date, 857 medical and rehabilitation professionals from more than 420 healthcare institutions have obtained Griffiths Registered Assessor certification.
At the conference, Professor Denise, former President of the British Association for Infant and Child Development Research, Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and a renowned expert in pediatric neurology, spoke highly of the rapid scientific development in China over the past two years. She noted that this progress will help gain international recognition for Chinese research achievements and publications, promote the global sharing of China’s experience, and ultimately benefit children worldwide.
At the Academic Symposium on the Clinical Application and Research Achievements of the Chinese Version of the Griffiths Scales of Child Development, held concurrently with the Mentor Conference, dozens of renowned domestic and international experts and scholars—including Professor Paula, President of the UK Association for Infant and Child Development Research; Professor Xu Xiu, Director of the Department of Child Health Care at Children’s Hospital of Fudan University; Professor Jiang Fan, Party Secretary of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center; and Professor Lin Huifen from the Hong Kong Child Development Specialist Centre—delivered 16 thematic presentations. They engaged in extensive and in-depth exchanges and discussions on clinical applications and research topics, including the use of the Griffiths Developmental Assessment Scales in research on developmental behavioral disorders in Chinese children, rehabilitation assessment for hearing-impaired children, assessment of children with motor development delays, developmental assessment of children with autism, preoperative assessment for epilepsy, applications in pediatric neurological disorders, studies on intellectual structure and emotional cognition in children with autism spectrum disorder, analysis of clinical assessment results, factor consistency studies with the Gesell Developmental Schedules, and applications in the Hong Kong region.
Mr. Sun Changsen, Chairman of Changhe Medical—the sole authorized provider for sales, after-sales service, and certification training of the Chinese version of the Griffiths Developmental Assessment Scales in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau—reported to the mentors’ conference and attending experts on the progress made by Changhe Medical in promoting the revision and development, clinical application, teaching and training, and scientific research of the Chinese version of the Griffiths Child Development Scales across various fields. Mr. Sun stated that Changhe Medical is committed to introducing internationally advanced rehabilitation medical technologies, services, and management models, and to delivering high-quality rehabilitation medical services in China based on evidence-based medicine and interdisciplinary teamwork. Changhe Medical plans to establish the Chinese version of the Griffiths Child Development Scales as an academic exchange and technical service platform for experts and scholars from various pediatric specialties in China, jointly fostering the development of child health initiatives in the country.
The annual plan approved at the Mentor Conference announced that in 2019, a “Thousand Pediatricians” training program would be launched across 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. The program aims to train 1,000 pediatricians to master the Chinese version of the Griffiths Scales of Child Development, in accordance with high international standards, enabling them to proficiently use relevant standards and diagnostic tools for developmental assessments of Chinese children.
The British Association for Research in Infant and Child Development has decided to hold the 2019 International Scientific Summit on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales in two consecutive phases, one in the United Kingdom and the other in China. The event will bring together research experts and certified trainers of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales from Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as Chinese scholars and experts, to discuss scientific research, envision future prospects, and jointly formulate the development pathway and direction for the fourth edition of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS IV).
Appendix: Introduction to the Chinese Version of the Griffiths Developmental Scales
The Chinese version of the Griffiths Developmental Scales includes six domains:
I. Exercise
This domain assesses children's motor skills, including balance and the ability to coordinate controlled movements. Test items include age-appropriate activities such as ascending and descending stairs, kicking a ball, riding a bicycle, hopping, and jumping.
II. Individual-Social
This domain assesses a child's proficiency in daily living activities, level of independence, and social interaction skills with peers. Test items include age-appropriate activities such as dressing and undressing, using utensils, and the ability to apply knowledge and information, for example, knowing one's birthday or home address.
III. Language
This domain assesses children's receptive and expressive language abilities. Test items include age-appropriate activities, such as naming the colors and names of objects, repeating phrases, describing a picture, and answering a series of questions regarding similarities and differences in content.
IV. Hand-Eye Coordination
This domain assesses children's fine motor skills, manual dexterity, and visual tracking abilities. The items used include age-appropriate activities such as stringing beads, cutting with scissors, copying shapes, and writing letters and numbers.
V. Presentation
This domain assesses children's visuospatial abilities, including processing speed and accuracy. Test items include age-appropriate activities such as building bridges or stairs, completing puzzles, and constructing models.
VI. Practical Reasoning
This domain assesses a child’s practical problem-solving abilities, understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts, and comprehension of moral and sequential issues. Test items include age-appropriate activities such as counting, comparing sizes, shapes, and heights. This domain also evaluates the child’s understanding of dates, visual sequencing skills, and recognition and comprehension of right versus wrong.
Clinical trials conducted by Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong; the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Children’s Hospital, Peking University First Hospital; the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai; the Department of Child Health, Tianjin Medical University; Xi’an Medical University; Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital; the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University; and the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University have demonstrated that the Chinese version of the Griffiths Developmental Assessment Scales can effectively evaluate motor function, learning difficulties, congenital mental development status, developmental disorder syndromes, visual impairments, autism, degree of prematurity, and social/emotional developmental capabilities in Chinese children. By providing reliable comparisons against established standards for each stage of brain development from ages 0 to 8, the scale offers practical analysis and yields clear diagnostic results.