The Mullen scales of early learning: ceiling effects among preschool children

Two cognitive tests were administered to typically developing children (36–67 months): the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), which is appropriate for very young children and thus often used in research with atypical samples (e.g., children with Autism Spectrum Disorder), and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). This was done in order to re-examine possible MSEL ceiling effects in a new sample and achieve a more in-depth understanding of these ceiling effects, if indeed present. Results indicated that among children ranging in age from 51 to 68 months, MSEL scores were significantly lower than K-ABC scores, and that with increasing age the number of children who completed the MSEL without establishing a ceiling level increased. Our results indicated that the MSEL scores are affected by ceiling effects and, therefore, the test underestimates cognitive abilities among older and more cognitively able children.