In recent years, there has been a proliferation of instruments for assessing mental health (MH) among autistic people. This study aimed to review the psychometric properties of broadband instruments used to assess MH problems among autistic people. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42022316571) we searched the APA PsycINFO via…

Measurement of children's behaviors in an educational and research context is a problematic and complex area. It is also evident that adapting scales to measure children's behaviors in an educational and research context is a complex process due to several reasons. First, cultural elements constitute a considerable problem. Second, it is difficult…

This is the second study to investigate the clinical use of the Parent-Instruction Game with Youngsters (PIGGY) which is a structured observation system derived from the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System II (DPICS-II; Eyberg, Bessmer, Newcomb, Edwards, & Robinson, 1994) and the Behavior Coding System (BCS; Forehand & McMahon, 1981). In…

A table is provided giving observed difference frequencies for caregiver versus teacher ratings of children on the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher's Report Form Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales per the original normative samples. The table permits accurate evaluation of the empirical rarity of specific cross-informant…

Many treatment programs for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) target social skills, and there is growing attention directed toward the development of specific interventions to improve social skills and social interactions in this population (Hestenes & Carroll, 2000; Strain & Hoyson, 2000). However, there are limited tools…

Objective: To complement standardized measurement of symptoms, we developed and tested an efficient strategy for identifying (before treatment) and repeatedly assessing (during treatment) the problems identified as most important by caregivers and youths in psychotherapy. Method: A total of 178 outpatient-referred youths, 7-13 years of age, and…

The need to assess Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) disorders in children younger than 7 years of age has intensified as clinical efforts to diagnose and treat this population have increased, and clinical research on psychopathology has advanced. A new diagnostic instrument for young children was created, the Diagnostic…

The primary aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the scores on a version for children of the Carver and White Behavioral Inhibition and Activation scales (the BIS-BAS scales). This involved administering the BIS-BAS scales, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire…

The relationship between children's activity level and adjustment has been based on a one-dimensional conceptualization of activity level and warrants re-examination. Current questionnaires conflate amount of physical movement with its appropriateness to the context, making it impossible to tell which aspect of activity level accounts for its…

Children with autism are able to show secure attachment behaviours to their parents/caregivers. Most studies on attachment in children with autism used a (modified) Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to examine attachment security. An advantage of the Attachment Q-Sort (AQS) over the SSP is that it can be attuned to the secure-base behaviour of…

Early identification of social-emotional behavioral problems in infants and preschoolers is critical. Nine parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments measuring preschool social-emotional behavioral problems and strengths are reviewed. Advantages to the use of parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments are that they are easy…

The Tourette's Disorder Scales (Shytle et al., 2003) are parent- (Tourette's Disorder Scales-Parent Rated; TODS-PR) and clinician-rated (Tourette's Disorder Scales-Clinician Rated; TODS-CR) measures that assess tics, obsessions, compulsions, inattention, hyperactivity, aggression, and emotional disturbances among children with tics. Although the…

Objective: This study tests the hypothesis that information typically collected during a maltreatment investigation can be used to screen children for mental health problems. Method: Data are from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Cumulative risk scores were created for 3,022 children and compared to reports of clinical-level…

When assessing the visual function of young children, it is important to use a variety of tests. It is essential to have a structured observation method when it is not possible to use ordinary acuity tests. A structured observation method can be created by using a checklist. An ideal checklist should be handy and reliable and include a minimum of…

We evaluated the ability of the Revised Children?s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the State?Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to (a) discriminate between youth with an anxiety disorder and youth without a disorder, (b) discriminate between youth with an anxiety disorder and youth with either…