Similarities and differences in developmental milestones of German and Indian toddlers using an adapted version of FREDI 0-3

This study explores similarities and differences in early childhood development [ECD] from a cross-cultural perspective. A German (n=405) and an Indian sample (n=1325) between 10 and 32 months were developmentally assessed with a culturally adapted version of the German diagnostic tool FREDI 0-3. Similarities across both samples predominantly in motor and partially in language development were expected due to maturation processes of the brain. Differences between both groups were expected with regard to cognitive development due to environmental risk factors in Bihar, Northern India, and in the social-emotional development due to different cultural backgrounds. The most similar results in the overall development of both samples could be found in the youngest age group (10-14 months). With increasing age of the toddlers the differences in their development broadened. This could suggest that younger children acquire skills on the basis of inborn processes, thus the skills acquisition seems to be similar across samples. Assuming that the influence of environmental factors increases with age in the course of development, this could partially account for the wider differences across domains in the older age groups (22-32 months). More research of similarities and differences in ECD is needed to fully confirm the preliminary assumptions of this study.