Part of a special issue on adaptive behavior, the article reviews adaptive behavior research in areas which include the relationship between adaptive behavior and intelligence and school achievement, relationship between different measures of adaptive behavior, predictive aspects, declassification, group differences in adaptive behavior,…

Adaptive behavior instruments that are environmentally relevant can be used effectively in intervention planning for physically handicapped students. Five desirable characteristics in such instruments are listed, selected instruments are reviewed, and a systems approach to assessing adaptive behavior is described in the context of developing…

This paper discusses the use of tests by American teachers over the past six decades. A representative sample of the research centering on the linkage between testing and teaching is cited. (LMO)

Seventy-five children at ages 10, 13, and 16 were administered Selman's role-taking interview, a measure of social desirability, and a multidomain measure of self-doubt. Consistent with the social-cognitive model, self-doubt decreased and role taking ability increased with age during early adolescence. (Author/JAZ)

The Psychotic Behavior Rating Scale uses a factor analysis approach to aid in differential diagnosis of autism, schizophrenia, mental retardation, aphasia, and other severe handicaps. The scale is compared with five existing qualitatively developed instruments, noting similarities and dissimilarities among the various scales. (Author/JDD)

Presents criterion-related validity data for the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher's Report Form. Interprets results from elementary school boys (N=172) as supporting the criterion-related validity of the teacher-judgment measure and its use as a screening or diagnostic device in the school. (Author/ABB)

The issue addressed by this study was whether the Jesness Inventory Classification System as revised for hand-scoring can provide useful information about the personality and behavior of nonoffenders. Data on the System's construct validity showed that youths of the nine subtypes differed on many background, personality, attitude, and behavioral…

A conceptual model for school-based personality assessment, methods to integrate behavioral and projective assessment procedures, and issues surrounding the use of projective tests are presented. Ways to maximize the personality assessment process for use in placement and programing decisions are suggested. (Author/DWH)

Developed as part of the Milieu Language Teaching Project at the John F. Kennedy Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, this KIDTALK Behavior-Language Coding Protocol and manual measures behavior occurring during adult-child interactions. The manual is divided into 5 distinct sections: (1) the adult behavior codes describe…

This study examined executive functioning (EF) in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) boys ages 6-12 on a parent-report measure from Barkley's model. Mothers of 40 boys (20 with ADHD-HI or ADHD-C, and 20 without ADHD) completed the ADHD Symptom Checklist (ADHD-SC4), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-P), School-Home Information Profile…

This practicum paper reports on an effort to address the problem of acting-out, withdrawn, and immature behavior of 15 middle-school special education students during social skills instruction. Classroom behavior-rating checklists, discipline reports, and a student survey provided evidence that these behaviors occurred more during social skills…

Reviewed are the Balthazar Scales of Adaptive Behavior, Section 1: The Scales of Functional Independence, which deal with adaptive functioning of profoundly and severly mentally retarded persons in areas of eating, dressing, and toileting. (MC)

Trained observers visited classrooms taught by university lecturers receiving either low, medium, or high student ratings. The observers estimated the frequency of occurrence of 60 specific, low-inference teaching behaviors. Significant differences were found for 26 individual behaviors. Three factors (clarity, enthusiasm, and rapport) differed…

Evaluated the Primary Mental Health Project (PMHP), a school-based mental health program for the early detection and prevention of school-adjustment problems. Assessed the PMHP's effectiveness by evaluating seven consecutive annual cohorts of children. Results strongly and consistently showed that children seen through the PMHP were judged to have…