Recent studies of autism diagnosis in New Zealand have revealed inconsistent implementation of best practice standards in autism assessment and high rates of parental dissatisfaction with the diagnostic process. These findings have arisen despite the development and dissemination of the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (the…

In order to start providing important early intervention services to preschoolers and toddlers with autism, those children first need to be identified. Despite the availability of specialized autism assessment instruments, there is a need for effective screeners at the early childhood level. Three broadband behavior rating scales were evaluated in…

This article is an overview of identification of intellectual disabilities (ID), with a focus on meeting legal and ethical requirements when assessing children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and those living in poverty. Specific procedures and recommended instruments will be reviewed.

Adaptive function is an essential dimension in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions in young children, assisting in determining the pattern of intellectual function and the amount and type of support required. Yet, little information is available on the accuracy of currently used adaptive function assessments for preschool children. This…

Impairments in cognitive flexibility have been used to characterize the neuropsychological presentation of persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Previous studies have yielded mixed results. Our objective was to systematically review the sensitivity of cognitive flexibility measures in ASD using quantitative methods employed by…

Universal screening for emotional and behavioral risk in schools facilitates early identification and intervention for students as part of multitiered systems of support. Early identification has the potential to mitigate adverse outcomes of emotional and behavioral disorders. The purpose of this study was to extend existing research on the…

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems-Teacher Version (STEP-T) was designed to identify students aged 7-17 years with wide-ranging emotional disturbances. Coefficients alpha and test-retest reliability were adequate for all subscales except Anxiety. The hypothesized five-factor model fit the data very well and external aspects of validity were…

This study was an examination of the possible influence of a child's pre-identified disability on parent and teacher behavior ratings and whether a child's disability status affected parent ratings, when controlling for parenting stress. The sample included 206 kindergarten through third grade students and their teachers and parents from a…

This article reports on a 4-year follow-up study from the Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents (LEAP) randomized trial of early intervention for young children with autism. Overall, participants from LEAP classes were marginally superior to comparison class children on elementary school outcomes specific…

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a chronic disorder that often begins in early childhood; however, few studies have examined the onset of SIB in young children. This preliminary study reports on the identification, assessment, and observation of SIB in 32 children who had begun to engage in SIB within the previous 6 months. Participants were under…

Three rating scales--the Conners Parent-Teacher Questionnaire, the Queensland Teacher Questionnaire, and the Pittsburg Adjustment Scale--were used to assess the prevalence of hyperactivity among 1908 elementary children. Rates varied from 5 percent to 8.9 percent, with the overlap going 3.5 percent and the sum of those identified 12 percent. (CL)

Children (n=132), ages 1-16, were diagnosed for autism using the criteria in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Autistic Behavior Checklist, and third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Agreement of the DSM-IV and ICD-10 with the other…

Advantages and disadvantages of behavior rating scales and observation systems are presented, followed by preliminary validity data for the Mayes Hyperactivity Observation System, a clinically feasible system to identify preschool children with both Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity. Hyperactive and normal children were identified with…

Problem-behavior rating scale data on elementary-aged learning disabled and normal boys were factor analyzed. Somewhat different factors were identified for normal and learning disabled groups. Implications of the findings for hyperactivity as distinct from other conduct problems and for classifying youngsters' behavior and emotional problems are…

A screening method for distinguishing speech and language disordered children (2 to 15 years old) with and without psychiatric disorders (N=256) involved cutoff scores for an easily administered parent and teacher behavior rating questionnaire. (CL)