LAUSR

BACKGROUND The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized comprehensive developmental assessment tool for children aged 0-68 months. However, few Asia-based studies have explored cultural and linguistic adaptations of the MSEL or investigated its psychometric properties in populations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). AIMS This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MSEL-Taiwan version (MSEL-T) for Taiwanese children with ASD, global developmental delay (GDD), and typical development (TD). METHODS AND PROCEDURES The MSEL items were translated and modified according to the language and culture in Taiwan. In total, 191 children (ASD, 69; GDD, 36; and TD, 86) aged 19-68 months were assessed using the MSEL-T and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2 (PDMS-2) at enrollment, followed by the assessments of Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-Chinese version (VABS-C) at the age of 36 months or later. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS All subscales were verified to have good interrater reliability and internal consistency, and subscale scores indicated moderate to high correlations with PDMS-2 and VABS-C scores. Significant differences in MSEL-T scores were observed between same-aged pairs of children with TD and GDD and between pairs of children with TD and ASD. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The findings provide evidence of validity and reliability of the MSEL-T. And it is suggested that the culturally and linguistically adapted MSEL-T is a good tool for the clinical assessment of children with and without ASD.