A validational study of the test of pretend play using correlational and classificational analyses

This study examined the validity of the test of pretend play (ToPP) which assesses symbolic ability in pre-school children. ToPP and the language subtest of FirstSTEP were administered to 58 children recruited from regional nurseries in Australia. ToPP scores were significantly correlated with age and language scores. In addition, a classificational analysis found that ToPP successfully identified 75.8% of the children as either 'normal' or having 'developmental problems', and detected 80% of those with 'developmental problems'. These results suggest that ToPP has the potential to become a useful screening test in the identification of children with developmental delay.