Introduction
The Infant–Toddler Checklist organises caregiver observations about early communication. Its 24 questions cover shared attention, gestures, sounds, words, understanding and play with objects.
Communication develops through more than spoken vocabulary. Looking back at a caregiver, showing an object or using a gesture can carry meaning before a child uses many words. Age and opportunities to demonstrate a skill are important context when describing these behaviours.
Q-CHAT also asks caregivers about toddlers, with a different focus on patterns associated with autistic traits. The checklist provides a broader account of early communication. Examples from familiar daily routines can help a developmental professional understand what the child is doing.
Instructions
The Infant Toddler Checklist (ITC) is a designed to be completed by a parent of 6 to 24 month old children, or children of age who exhibit communication delays, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
It is designed to identify different aspects of development in infants and toddlers. Many behaviors that develop before children talk may indicate whether or not a child will have difficulty learning to talk. This Checklist should be completed by a caregiver when the child is between 6 and 24 months of age to determine whether a referral for an evaluation is needed. The caregiver may be either a parent or another person who nurtures the child daily. Please check all the choices that best describe your child’s behavior. If you are not sure, please choose the closest response based on your experience. Children at your child’s age are not necessarily expected to use all the behaviors listed.
This is not a standard self-report test
Caregiver-completed observer report; not a toddler self-report
Scoring and result metrics
The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.
- Score range
- 0-57
- Items scored
- 24
- Result indicators
- Total score / Interpretation band when available
Score interpretation bands
- 0-13Low range
Your score falls in the lower range for this screening tool.
- 14-27Mild range
Your score falls in a mild or lower-middle range. Consider the result alongside your current context.
- 28-42Moderate range
Your score falls in a moderate range. If the symptoms are distressing, consider speaking with a qualified professional.
- 43-57Higher range
Your score falls in a higher range for this screening tool. This is not a diagnosis, but it may be worth discussing with a clinician.
Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.
Tool information
- Version
- 24 questions
- Administration
- Observer-rated
- Intended audience
- Parents or caregivers observing communication and social development in infants and toddlers, commonly from 6 to 24 months
Sources
Related tests
Explore related screening tools in the same topic area.
Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT)
Q-CHAT asks caregivers about a toddler's communication, attention, play and repetitive patterns.
Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST)
CAST is a parent-report questionnaire about a child's communication, play, interests and social interaction.
Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
ASSQ collects observations of a school-age child's social communication, interests and behaviour.