Detailed Infantility Test (DIT)

Indicate the extent to which each symptom of infantilism is present in the examinee. A key feature of this instrument is that it cannot be completed either by the examinee or by an individual who has observed the examinee only briefly (e.g., during a psychological/psychiatric evaluation). Completion of this questionnaire—and, especially, interpretation of its results—should be performed only by a sufficiently objective person who has observed the examinee over an extended period across numerous situations and who has some level of relevant specialized knowledge. In most cases, the questionnaire should be completed by a teacher, and diagnostic conclusions should be made by a psychologist (clinical psychologist, pathopsychologist) or a psychiatrist. Few parents have the level of objectivity required to evaluate their child and the necessary understanding of the purpose and meaning of this assessment. For this reason, it is difficult, for example, for a psychologist to complete such a questionnaire based on parents’ reports and judgments combined with very brief observations of the child, which do not encompass the wide range of situations in which signs of infantilism—or, conversely, signs of its absence—can be identified.