Presented in the monograph are current or proposed methods for screening and assessing children, from birth to 5 years of age, who have diverse developmental disorders or who are at risk, and whose mental and physical development will benefit from early identification and intervention. Considered in relation to general screening are a screening analogy; physical, envirnomental, and cultural factors; at risk registers and populations; and societal, ethnic, ethical, and legal aspects. Described are the physical factors involved in streamlining physical examinations and laboratory procedures, genetics and amniocentesis, biochemical and metabolic indicators, nutrition, gestational age, at risk indicators, vision screening, hearing, neurological screening, and abused or battered children. Examined among intellectual and cognitive factors are the infant's attention to discrepancies, ordinal scales of cognitive development, and aspects of assessing infants' intelligence and predicting later cognitive development. Language factors discussed include receptive language development, diagnostic significance of an infant's cry, expressive development, language tests and scales, and interdisciplinary screening. Examined among social and emotional factors are mother-infant attachment dynamics, social adaptation ratings, childhood psychosis prediction, and functional analysis for intervention. Some of the comprehensive developmental screening systems described involve early identification and intervention, screening as part of a total service system, multifactorial preschool development screening, and manpower consideration. (MC)