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United KingdomMullen™ Technical Information
Publication Data
| Instrument name/abbreviation | Mullen Scales of Early Learning: AGS Edition |
| Author | Eileen M. Mullen, EdD |
| Publisher/address | Pearson Assessments, Bloomington, MN |
| Copyright date | Purchased by AGS Publishing in January 1993 Infant MSEL copyright 1985, 1987, 1989 Preschool MSEL copyright 1981, 1984, 1992 AGS Publishing Edition copyright 1995 |
Product Description
| Primary use/purpose | The Mullen Scales: AGS Edition is a comprehensive measure of a child's motor, perceptual, and language abilities. It is used to help determine need for special services, and assess learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. |
| Age range covered | Birth through 68 months |
| Administration time | 25–40 minutes |
| Individual vs. group | Individually administered |
| User qualifications | Level B. Mullen users "should have completed graduate training and have experience in clinical infant assessment." |
Content
| Domains | Gross motor (birth to 33 months), receptive and expressive language, visual-perceptual skills, and visual-motor skills (including fine motor) |
| Scale names | Gross Motor Visual Reception Fine Motor Receptive Language Expressive Language |
| Composite | Early Learning Composite |
| Forms | N/A |
| Materials included in the kit | Manual Item Administration Book (directions for administering and scoring all items) Stimulus Book Record Forms (25 per package) and manipulatives |
Item Information
| Item types | Performance based. Each item is a unique type (e.g., Gross Motor Scale: standing, walking, running; Visual Reception Scale: matching, sorting, nesting cups; Fine Motor Scale: stacking blocks, drawing, stringing beads; Receptive Language Scale: recognizing body parts, following commands; Expressive Language Scale: answering questions, completing analogies). |
| Response format | Depends on item type. Items carefully developed to pose a challenge only in the modality being assessed (the Receptive Language Scale, for example, requires no verbal expression). |
| Item scoring | Varies by item, from 1 to 5 points |
Scoring Information
| Derived scores available | Scales: T score (mean = 50; SD = 10) band of error (90 and 95 percent confidence) percentile rank age equivalent developmental stage (to 33 months) descriptive category Composite: Standard score (mean = 100, SD = 15) band of error (90 and 95 percent confidence) percentile rank descriptive category |
| Norm groups available | Census sample |
| Interpretive features | Manual provides interpretive information, including case studies. |
| Computerized scoring | ASSIST available for DOS, Windows®, and Macintosh®. The ASSIST™ report offers recommended activities based on the You and Your Small Wonder books by Merle Karnes. |
Technical Information—Standardization
| Description | The Mullen was standardized over a period of 8 years in three phases. |
| Date | June 1981–April 1989 |
| Size | 1,849 Based on the U.S. census data in the years 1987, 1988, 1989. |
Sample
| Controlled for: | Females | Males |
| Age/Gender | Yes | Yes |
| Race | Yes | Yes |
| Geographic region | Yes | Yes |
| SES/parent occupation | Yes | Yes |
| Community Size | Yes | Yes |
| Special populations included | No | No |
Reliability
| Internal consistency | Y |
| Test-retest | Y |
| Interrater | Y |
| Standard errors of measurement | Y |
Validity
| Intercorrelations | Y |
| Content | Y |
| Construct | Y |
| Concurrent | 6 studies |
| Predictive | 1 study |
| Factor Analysis | Y |
| Clinical Sample | N/A |
| Other instruments used in correlation studies | Bayley Scales of Infant Development®, Preschool Language Assessment, Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Birth to Three Scale, Fine Motor Subtest of the Brigance Inventory of Early Development, Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, Metropolitan Readiness Test |
Other
| Developmental history | The Infant MSEL was developed first as a measure of early development. The Preschool MSEL was an upward extension of the Infant MSEL. The AGS Edition combines the two earlier versions into a single test with continuous norms for children from birth through age 5–8. |
| Special features | The Mullen Scales: AGS Edition has a unique theoretical base among 0–3 assessments, with an emphasis on differential development in distinct domains. Results focus attention on the child's areas of strength and weakness. |
| Federal mandates met | MSEL covers 3 of the 5 areas required by federal legislation (motor, cognition, and language) |
| Adaptation for special needs | Although standardized assessment directions should be followed, the manual contains suggestions for optimizing the performance of a child with an "uneven learning pattern." |
| Training options available | None are available at this point. |
