Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41707555›Full record

SynthesisResearch in developmental disabilities2026

Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) in etiologically diverse developmental conditions: A systematic review.

Zuzanna Laudańska, Patrice van der Venne, Helena Preis, Steffi Sachse, Christian P Schaaf, Jeremy I Borjon, Hana D'Souza, Daniel Holzinger, Ewa Haman, Nivedita Mani and 3 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Research in developmental disabilities, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Zuzanna LaudańskaDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Patrice van der VenneDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Helena PreisDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Steffi SachseInstitute of Psychology, Heidelberg University of Education, Heidelberg, Germany.
Christian P SchaafInstitute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jeremy I BorjonDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Houston, USA; Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, USA; Texas Center for Learning Disorders, University of Houston, USA.
Hana D'SouzaCentre for Human Developmental Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK.
Daniel HolzingerClinical Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
Ewa HamanFaculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Nivedita ManiGeorg-Elias-Müller Institute for Psychology, Department for Psychology of Language, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Luise PoustkaDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Dajie ZhangDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
Peter B MarschikDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Austria; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: Peter.Marschik@med.uni-heidelberg.de.

Funding

How infant-directed speech organizes the attentional state of infantsR00HD105920 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · PI BORJON, JEREMY ISAAC · 2023 to 2025
$741k
NICHD NIH HHS R00 HD105920
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) are widely used parent-report tools for assessing early language development, including gesture use, expressive and receptive vocabulary, and early morpho-syntactic capacities. While originally developed for typically developing children aged 8 up to 36 months and aimed at detecting developmental language disorder, CDIs have been increasingly applied in studies of neurodevelopmental and genetic conditions, where language development often diverges from typical trajectories. In this review, we synthesize literature on the use of CDIs in a range of clinical populations, including autism, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, Angelman syndrome, DDX3X syndrome, 5p deletion syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and others. We highlight condition-specific patterns of expressive vocabulary development, discuss the value of longitudinal data collection using CDIs, and visualize age trends that capture change and variability across developmental pathways. Particular attention is given to methodological considerations such as cross-linguistic adaptations, reporting biases, and the limitations of single-timepoint assessments. While CDIs show promise for tracking language trajectories and informing early support, challenges remain in ensuring their reliability, validity, and suitability as screening tools. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of longitudinal, cross-condition, and cross-cultural approaches to better understand atypical language development and to improve the utility of CDIs in both research and applied settings.

Indexed as

Language DevelopmentLanguage Development DisordersLanguage TestsAngelman SyndromeAutistic DisorderCerebral PalsyDEAD-box RNA HelicasesDown SyndromeFragile X SyndromeHumansWilliams SyndromeDEAD-box RNA Helicases5p deletion syndromeAngelman syndromeAutismCDIsCerebral palsyCommunicative Development InventoriesDDX3X syndromeDown syndromeFragile X syndromeGenetic conditionsLanguageWilliams syndrome

Identifiers

PMID41707555
PMCPMC13215705

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.