Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of Children with Poor School Readiness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18106957Keywords:
school readiness, child and adolescent psychiatry, Metropolitan Readiness Test, Denver II Developmental Screening TestAbstract
Objective: School readiness refers to the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive competencies that enable children to succeed in primary education. While chronological age is the primary criterion, alone insufficient, as developmental pace, psychiatric conditions, and socio-environmental factors also play a critical role. We aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these cases, to raise awareness in this area, and to contribute to the development of preschool intervention strategies for children who do not attain sufficient school readiness.
Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated children who presented to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital between 2019 and 2024 for school readiness assessment and were found to have insufficient readiness. Sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric and medical diagnoses, developmental histories, and results of The Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II) and The Metropolitan School Readiness Test were obtained from clinical records. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with descriptive statistics reported as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations.
Results: Sixty children were included (21.7% female, mean age 74.9 months). The most common psychiatric diagnoses were intellectual disability (28.3%), speech and language disorder (15%), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (6.7%), while 23.3% had multiple diagnoses. 33.3% of the cases scored below 65 points on The Metropolitan School Readiness Test and thus did not achieve school readiness; 13.4% scored 65 points or above and were found to be at an average or a high normal level. In addition, 16.7% could not respond to the test, and 36.7% were not administered the test. The DDST-II revealed that 88.2% of tested children had developmental delays compared to peers.
Conclusion: Children’s school readiness is shaped by multiple factors and requires a multidimensional approach. Early diagnosis and intervention, expanded preschool education, enriched home learning, and increased parental awareness are essential to support readiness.
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