Batelle Developmental Inventory-3

Title of Assessment

Batelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-3)

Author(s)

Jean Newborg

Year of Publication/Publisher

2020, Riverside Assessments, LLC

Identify Type of Assessment

Standardized, norm-referenced, criterion referenced, observation-based, curriculum referenced

Cost (identify source) & How to Access Assessment (include link if possible)

$158.67 - $1,297.76 BDI-3 Physical Materials

$119.01 - $270.46 BDI-3 Digital Materials

Training - FREE

Advanced Training - $292.00 - $5,830.00

Need to order English and Spanish versions separately and is the same cost for both

Population (who it is appropriate for [age, diagnosis, etc.]) 

Birth-7 years,11 months

Developmental delay, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD

Appropriate Settings (potential practice settings appropriate to administer assessment in)

Early intervention, school-based, home health, NICU, PICU, outpatient pediatric clinic

Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed 

Assess if a child is reaching developmental milestones for school readiness, assess eligibility for special education services, use information to develop appropriate goals and accommodations for IFSPs and IEPs

Administration (time to administer, group/individual, if there are subtests, can they be completed individually, are there specific instructions to ensure standardization, etc.)

60-90 minutes

Domains include: Communication, Social-Emotional, Adaptive, Motor, Cognitive

Each domain has subdomains

Adaptive: Personal responsibility (identify safe ways to navigate the world, money to purchase), Self-care (at-school and self-care responsibilities)

Social-emotional: Adult interaction (at home/school job charts), Peer interaction (counting 1 or 2 more), Self concept and Social Role

User Qualifications 

Training or qualifications needed 

1. Licensed professionals in child development (OT, PT, SLP, etc) 

2. Training is not required but recommended so the standardizations will be familiar 

Materials Required 

Required materials and environment 

1. BDI-3 kit (including: manual, score sheets, manipulatives) 

2. Quiet environment that is child-friendly 

3. Caregiver present for interview components 

4. Settings: Clinical, Home, School, Daycare, NICU 

Scoring Procedure (how is assessment scored and what does score indicate) 

There are 5 Test Books for each domain on the Battelle. Each domain has several subdomains with standardized instructions and scoring methods.  

Developmental Ages are used to determine which subdomain test page to start on.  

Test each subdomain for 3 consecutive trials with a subdomain test score of 2 and then continue to the next subdomain test. Scored between 0 to 2, 2 is when the child is able to complete the task of the subdomain, 1 is needing support or partially able to complete the task. 

The Basal Score is determined by a score of 2 on 3 consecutive times on the lowest scored numbered items or the first item in the subdomain if basal cannot be established 

The Ceiling Score is determined by a score of 0 on 3 consecutive highest numbered items administered or the last item of the subdomain if the ceiling is not established. 

Market Insights_BDI3 Empirical Investigation into Dev Milestones_July 2024.pdf 

Psychometrics/Standardization (norms, reliability/validity studies)

Strong psychometrics

• • Internal Consistency Reliability (.92 to .97 in all domains)

  • Test-Retest reliability (.79 to .87 in all domains)

  • Inter-rater reliability (.82 to .97 in Motor and Cognitive Domains)

Strengths & Weaknesses of Assessment 

Strengths

Very thorough strengths-based assessment, has a basal and ceiling score to understand range, includes cognition as a domain, also available in Spanish,

Weaknesses

Can be very long and may need to take into account the child’s ability to attend to this long of an assessment

References

Custer, M., Oh, H., Kim, J., Wei, H., & Demirkaya, O. (2024, February 14). Empirical investigation into developmental milestones and the typical age of mastery acquisition. Riverside Insights. https://7083436.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7083436/Market%20Insights_BDI3%20Empirical%20Investigation%20into%20Dev%20Milestones_July%202024.pdf  

Goldin, R., Matson, J., Beighley, J., & Jang, J. (2014). Autism spectrum disorder severity as a predictor of Battelle Developmental Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-2) scores in toddlers. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 17(1), 39–43. https://doi.org/10.3109/17518423.2013.839585 

Goldstein, S. (2023, March 11). Using the Battelle 3 Developmental Inventory in the Assessment of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. California Association of School Psychologists. https://copperstreetstorage.blob.core.windows.net/sam-goldstein/pdf/handouts/Battelle%203%20for%20CASP%202023.pdf  

Matson, J., Hess, J., Sipes, M., & Horovitz, M. (2010). Developmental profiles from the Battelle Developmental Inventory: a comparison of toddlers diagnosed with Down syndrome, global developmental delay and premature birth. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 13(4), 234–238. https://doi.org/10.3109/17518421003736032 

Riverside Insights. (2023). Batelle Developmental Inventory, 3rd Edition Developmental Record Form. Riverside Insights. 

Riverside Insights. (2022). Battelle® Developmental Inventory, 3rd Edition (BDI-3®) Product Brochure. Riverside Insights. https://info.riversideinsights.com/hubfs/BDI%203%20Brochure_Final%20Version_2022.pdf  

Riverside Insights. (2020). BDI3_ScoreReport. Riverside Insights. https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/7083436/BDI-3%20Sample%20Reports/Complete%20Report%20Sample.pdf?hsCtaTracking=daeb12ac-e436-4945-a418-4a88b596d22f%7C230be3ff-e381-4c23-abf6-81940ed7a0a6

Troxel, M., Sheldrick, R., Eisenhower, A., & Carter, A. (2023). Patterns and correlates of developmental profiles using the Battelle Developmental Inventory among children in early intervention. Journal of Early Intervention, 46(4), 544-561. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538151231191757  

Yett, C. & Reyes, K. (2025). Batelle Developmental Inventory, Third Edition (BDI-3). [Canva Presentation]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGsjBjQV-g/mDpUr7TOzW0Ga5wockn-CQ/edit?utm_content=DAGsjBjQV-g&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton