The New Bayley-4 and the Development of the Bayley-4 Special Needs Addition

The new version of the Bayley test (2024) is now widely used by behavioral scientists. It is the best tool professionals have to assess the general development of children up to 3.5 years of age.

The Kinderacademie Groningen has made a major contribution to the creation of this tool by conducting the standardization and validation research and by being involved as an expert.

Thanks to greater parental involvement, more differentiated scoring, and flexible administration procedures, this test is even more effective at assessing the cognitive, language, and motor functioning of young children when there are developmental concerns.

From June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026, the Kinderacademie, in collaboration with Radboud University, will work on developing a Special Needs version of the Bayley-4. This is a major international project aimed at making the Bayley test more suitable for children with motor and/or visual impairments.

Special Needs Version of the Bayley-4

• Target Group: Specifically for children with motor and/or visual impairments

  • (Also suitable for children with speech/language problems, though this group will not be studied separately.)

• Adapted Materials: Enlarged and modified play materials and enhanced contrast in illustrations.

• Adapted Instructions and Procedures: Tailored to the specific needs of children in this group.

• Inclusive Testing Experience: Children with disabilities can better demonstrate what they are capable of.

The goal of this research is to show that with adapted materials and instructions, the test retains the same content and level of difficulty, so that the standard norms remain applicable. The difference? With the adapted administration, children with motor and/or visual impairments can much better show what they already understand and can do cognitively and linguistically.

Join Us and Make a Difference!

We are looking for children with typical development (children without specific disabilities) aged 15 days to 3.5 years to form the control group. Parents can register their child via this website to contribute to this important study.

We are also looking for children who belong to the target group of the Bayley Special Needs edition — children with motor impairments (CP) and/or visual impairments up to 11 years old. If you would like to register your child, or if you work for an organization that might want to contribute, you can sign up using the button below.