Examines convergent and discriminant validity for the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS). The Social Competence scale evidenced strong positive correlations with measures of social skills and adaptability. The Antisocial Behavior scale evidenced strong positive correlations with measures of externalizing behavior problems. Results…

This study used the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to examine the relationship between ratings of adaptive behavior and social competence with 208 students in kindergarten through third grade with a variety of disabilities. The study provided evidence for the concurrent criterion-related validity of…

After identification of an alternative model of the School Social Behavior Scales, the invariance of the new model was tested with half of the original standardization sample (n=2,047). Both scales performed well and resulted in models very similar to those originally proposed by the author of the instrument. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Examined uses and concurrent relations of Teacher's Self-Control Rating Scale (TSCRS) and The Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment (Walker-McConnell Scale) through analysis of classroom teachers' referral of students (N=92) with academic problems. Found moderate to high levels of concurrent validity and significant…

Two studies investigated the construct validity of the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS), a new behavior rating scale for assessing children's social behavior, and relationships between characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and children's social behavior. Results indicated a strong link between social behavior…

The Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) was administered to 121 young children, and parents rated them with the Social Skills Rating System 2-3 years after entry into the study. Correlations between the two measures revealed very weak to modest relationships, providing limited support for the BDI as a predictive measure of future…

Social behavior of 122 students in grades 6-8 who participate in a prevention program for behaviorally at-risk youth was rated by a parent, general education teacher, and at-risk program teacher. Parents and special program teachers were more likely to provide positive ratings of behaviors than their general education teachers. (Author/CR)

The term "controversial" has been used in the professional literature to describe children and adolescents who have the seemingly paradoxical quality of being both socially skilled and antisocial. Although there have been some widely influential studies regarding controversial children and youth, there has been relatively little research in this…

Differences in parent and teacher ratings of social-emotional behavior among 198 preschool-age children with developmental delays and 198 without significant developmental problems were examined. The children with developmental delays were rated by both groups as having significantly lower levels of social skills and significantly higher levels of…

Addresses the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of social-emotional problems in preschool children. Promising findings, materials, and techniques are reviewed, such as the internalizing-externalizing dichotomy, developmental pathways, the Early Screening Project, the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales, behavioral momentum to…

Analysis of social competence and problem behaviors for 164 special education students in grades K-3, using the Social Skills Rating System, found weak to moderate relationships between parents' and teachers' ratings. Gender comparisons revealed mixed findings. Results provide evidence for the instrument's convergent validity and suggest that…

Presents data that establish the convergent and discriminant construct validity of a new behavior-rating scale for use with the early childhood-preschool population, the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS). The scale appears to show promise as a research tool, screening device, and assessment instrument for assessing social-emotional…

This article provides an overview of some of the recent developments in assessing social skills of children, as well as best practices in conducting assessment and linking assessment to effective intervention. Naturalistic behavioral observation and behavior rating scales are proposed as first-line choices for social skills assessment. (Contains…

This study examined teachers' behavioral ratings of young children (ages 5 and 6) with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A study group consisting of 30 children with formal diagnoses of ADHD and a comparison group of 30 children without ADHD were developed using randomized matching procedures. Teachers of these children…

The construct validity of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) was evaluated with 94 kindergarten students. Results supported both the convergent and discriminant validity of the Social Skills and Problem Behavior scales of the PKBS. Results also support use of the PKBS for identifying young children who are behaviorally at risk.…