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 present study examined the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the "Oppositional Defiant Disorder Rating Scale" (ODDRS) in a population of children referred for ADHD evaluation. The diagnostic benefit of using a rating scale specific to Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), in addition to a broad range behavior scale, was…

Information useful for the identification of child abusers was developed. Data initially collected provided feedback concerning the characteristics and attitudes of child abusers. An MMPI profile analysis was conducted in the second phase of the study. While 10 of the 15 subjects had one or more scale scores above T-70, the average group profile…

Four dimensions (Contact, Consciousness, Interest, and Fantasy) of the Creativity Classification System (CCS) have demonstrated high validity in identifying fourth- to sixth-grade students for an enrichment program. An identification procedure for use at the high school level is explained in relation to CCS. (Author/DB)

Symptom scales were developed for three parallel symptom checklists for three types of informants used in diagnostic evaluation. These scales were designed to maximize the comparability of data across informants without sacrificing the distinctiveness of different evaluators' frames of reference. Cluster analyses of checklists yielded nine…

A discussion of the classification of behavior disturbance, the paper focuses on the results of behavior and ways to avoid uncontrolled inference and observer-interpretation. One hypothesis of maladjustment which is explored is a failure to think about the consequences of behavior and to act on impulse. An experimental revision of the Bristol…

Forty parents of children with autism or pervasive developmental disorder completed the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire, developed for subclassifying children into one of L. Wing's three hypothesized subgroups. Results indicated that the questionnaire has adequate external criterion-referenced validity, with similar subgroup ratings made by…

The paper reviews and critiques the Adaptive Behavior Inventory for Children (ABIC) from the perspective of its utility in the assessment of adaptive behavior for special education eligibility. It is explained that the ABIC, a parent interview consisting of questions about a child's home and community activities, has recently been normed and used…

A study examined the validity of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) with 119 children (ages 3-10) with strict DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) diagnoses of autism. The GARS consistently underestimated the likelihood that children would be classified as having autism. Limitations of ratings scales and of the GARS…

The reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale in the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders are reviewed. While the measure holds promise as a research tool, there appears little evidence that it can distinguish among the variety of types of pervasive developmental disorders, or diagnose Asperger…

The present study was designed to investigate the discriminant validity of the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD; Naglieri, LeBuffe, & Pfeiffer, 1994) in relation to a widely used behavior rating scale, the Teacher Report Form (TRF; Achenbach, 1991), in children and adolescents with emotional disturbance (ED). A matched sample of 148…

Three classifications of 6- through 12-year-old children (388 nonretarded, 115 educable mentally retarded, and 85 trainable mentally retarded) were evaluated on the public school version of the Adaptive Behavior Scale by their teachers. (Author/SBH)

Autism Behavior Checklists were completed for 52 autistic individuals (ages 2-31) and 62 nonautistic individuals, and data were analyzed using signal detection methodology. A single item (looks "through" people) combined with one of five other items discriminated as well as the sum scores, and further combinations did not improve…

Developed a brief behavior rating scale consisting of 28 items divided into seven categories for use in a school setting. Test validity was based upon the successful discrimination between neurologically impaired, socially maladjusted, emotionally handicapped, and normal children. (Author)

The Autism Behavior Checklist was completed for 67 autistic and 56 mentally retarded and learning-disabled children (ages 6-15). The checklist was effective in classifying children when using either the full scale or only the more highly weighted items. Results did not support a single unidimensional scale or subdividing the checklist into five…