Gesell Institute has a long and rich history including both clinical and research activities. While no longer a clinic, the Institute does strive to continue high quality research initiatives, mainly with an applied lens. In addition to the applied research model followed in implementing the Parent-Teacher Connection Program in New Haven, a national study to collect baseline and exploratory data on the Gesell Developmental Observation - Revised (GDO-R), an early childhood assessment that is used at thousands of schools across the country, was completed in 2008-2010.

GDO-R Study 2008-2010

Early childhood personnel from around the country were recruited in to participate in the national GDO-R study, and data has been collected from a nationally diverse sample of children pulled from each region of the country. Children were initially targeted across eight different age groups: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0. A total of 1600 children were targeted for study participation, though due to lack of available data in the 2.5 age band, the final target was 1,400 GDO-R assessments across 7 age bands.

Altogether, 61 sites collected data and submitted 4864 child, parent, and teacher forms in total. Our sample consists of young children from 15 different ethnic groups who speak 29 languages in addition to English, across 23 U.S. states.

For more information about the curent data, study outcomes, and new products planned for release this Fall, please click here to review answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

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For additional information about the GDO-R study, please contact Program Coordinator Andrea Sambrook.