Identifying student strengths is central to transition planning. However, school personnel use few assessments that operationalize behavioral and emotional strengths, and the psychometric functioning of those measures have not been established with transition-age students. In this two-part study, we used a national sample of transition-age…

The method of Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) incorporates aspects of both systematic direct observation and behavior rating scales to provide an efficient means to collect time series data. This study extended the development and evaluation of DBR Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) as a behavior assessment tool. Eighty-eight undergraduate students used…

This paper reports the results of the validity studies done on the Five P's (Parent/Professional Preschool Performance Profile), an assessment tool for parents and teachers developed by the Variety Preschooler's Workshop (Syosset, New York) to rate young handicapped children functioning between birth and 5 years of age on their observed…

This study assessed the criterion-related validity of the PDD Behavior Inventory, a rating scale to evaluate the adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Good correlations with five other scales confirmed the scale's validity and suggest its value in assessing treatment-related changes in maladaptive…

The psychometric properties of the Motivation Assessment Scale were examined using 90 ratings of different problem behaviors among 86 individuals with mental retardation. Although reliability and internal consistency were generally poor, the results depended upon topographies of problem behavior and methods of calculation. The construct validity…

A study involving 99 parents, researchers, residential workers, speech pathologists, and special education teachers revealed a high level of support for the Biala-II, a profile that uses the knowledge of informants who are able to provide specific information on the ways in which a person with mental retardation communicates. (Contains…

The Communities That Care Youth Survey measures risk and protective factors shown in prior studies to predict adolescent problem behaviors such as drug use, delinquency, and violence. This paper describes the development and validation of cut points for the risk and protective factor scales in the Communities That Care Youth Survey that…

Examines relations between Matthews Youth Test for Health ratings on hyperactive boys and diverse measures obtained from five sources: direct behavior observations; staff evaluations, nonparticipant observer ratings, peer nominations, and self-reports. (HOD)

Described is the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, a measure for evaluating the infant's motor, emotional, social, and cognitive development by providing typical interactive situations. (SBH)

Describes the development of "The Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale: A Strength-Based Approach to Assessment" for use with children with special needs. Reports on several pilot studies conducted to establish the scale's validity prior to the scale being normed on a nationally representative sample. These studies addressed content…

A study tested the psychometric properties of the Stereotyped Behavior Scale, an empirically developed behavior rating scale for adolescents and adults with mental retardation. Forty-five adults with mental retardation and various rates of stereotypies participated. Results found the scale had high rates of reliability, validity, and interrater…

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…

Two studies evaluated the PDD Behavior Inventory, (PDDBI), a rating scale designed to assess adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of children having a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). It was concluded that the PDDBI is both reliable and valid and is useful in providing information not typically available in most instruments used to assess…

The Behavior Summarized Evaluation (BSE) measures changes in behavioral parameters in autistic children over time and treatments. Tests of reliability and validity suggest that the BSE is an acceptable tool for the assessment of autistic behaviors, is easy to handle, and is accessible to both professional and paraprofessional medicoeducative…

This study assessed the degree of agreement between teacher report and an adapted Adaptive Behavior Scale in the identification of mental retardation and associated learning difficulties in 257 young Bahraini school children. Findings indicated that the instrument is sensitive in identification of children with mental retardation and exhibits high…