The study assessed the diagnostic validity of the diagnostic behavioral assessment for autism spectrum disorders-revised (DiBAS-R; 19-item screening scale based on ratings by caregivers) in a clinical sample of 381 adults with ID. Analysis revealed a sensitivity of 0.82 and a specificity of 0.67 in the overall sample (70.3% agreement). Sensitivity…

There have been significant changes in the racial/ethnic and linguistic background of students attending public schools in the United States. The number of public-school students who are English language learners (ELLs) participating in programs of language assistance has more than doubled over the past two decades. In 1993-1994, 5.1% of…

Background: The increasing number of individuals with an intellectual disability who are at risk of developing dementia highlights the need to use measures with strong psychometric properties as part of the screening, assessment and diagnostic process. Method: Searches were made of clinical and good practice guidelines and English language journal…

Purpose: Although the 5 studies presented within this clinical forum include children who differ widely in locality, language learning profile, and age, all were motivated by a desire to improve the accuracy at which developmental language disorder is identified within linguistically diverse schools. The purpose of this prologue is to introduce…

Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) spend a significant portion of their day at school. It is therefore important that schools provide a safe and flexible environment for disease management and psychosocial support. Little is known of the school experiences of children and adolescents with T1D in Western Australia. The aim of this…

Background: Problem behaviours are common among people with intellectual disabilities (ID), but psychometrically evaluated instruments for assessing such behaviours are scarce. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory--Intellectual Disability (NPI-ID). Method: We assessed 108 residents with…

Tools to assess the dispositions of counselor education applicants at the point of program admission are important as mechanisms to screen entrance into the profession. The authors developed the Professional Disposition Competence Assessment-Revised Admission (PDCA-RA) as a screening tool for dispositional assessment in admissions interviews. In…

This article draws on the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to examine parent ratings of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and prosocial behaviour in pre- and mid-adolescents. A series of mixed-design ANOVAs yielded interesting results. Parent ratings of emotional difficulties in girls increased as they moved from pre- to mid-adolescence…

Autistic individuals experience elevated risk for suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths. Little is known about how clinicians assess risk or intervene with suicidal autistic individuals. We surveyed 121 clinicians about use of suicide prevention practices with autistic and non-autistic clients. Clinicians reported greater self-efficacy in…

School connectedness is an important feature to consider within the school environment because it likely accounts for why some youth thrive and others struggle with internalizing problems. Furthermore, internalizing problems typically do not occur in isolation of each other, but rather anxiety and depressive symptoms frequently co-occur and…

This article reports findings from formative research on translating key elements of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and American Academy of Pediatrics Practitioner's Guide for pediatric alcohol misuse to a computerized web- and mobile-compatible format with patient risk screening and tailored decision support…

The assessment of screening accuracy and setting of cut points for a universal screener have traditionally been evaluated using logistic regression analysis. This analytic technique has been frequently used to evaluate the trade-offs in correct classification with misidentification of individuals who are at risk of performing poorly on a later…

Background: Studies have reported unmet health needs in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). This study illustrated and analysed patterns of healthcare services utilization among people with intellectual disability and compared their use to that of the general population. Method: Participants (N = 791, aged 15-82) were mainly recruited…

This research investigates psychoactive substance abuse that causes significant health problems in its various chemical effects. It also determines the patterns of its use and level of risk of harm assessment to humans. Harmful determination is dependent upon patterns used in psychoactive substance and its associated level of risk among high…

The Boxall Profile provides a framework for the structured observation of children in nurture groups. It is a detailed and rigorously trialled normative diagnostic instrument developed for teachers and teaching assistants to measure children's levels of emotional and behavioural functioning. Moreover, it highlights specific targets for…