Hi and welcome to Ask Missy Mondays where I respond to email questions from readers who have questions about their child’s behavior. Today’s question comes from Carmen who asks,
“Do you know of any behavior screening checklists that could be used to determine if further behavior services are warranted?”
Hi Carmen, and thanks for writing! This is an excellent question.
Is the Child Eligible or being considered for Special Education Services?
If the child is in public school, then we have to follow the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) requirements and ask the question:
“is the child’s behavior impeding his learning or that of others?”
If the answer to this question is yes, then a comprehensive behavioral evaluation complete with recommendations is warranted.
Is the Child in a Private Placement?
If the child is in a private program and you are just trying to decide if behavioral services are needed, I like to use standardized measures to compare the child’s behavior to that of his/her same age peers. These assessments can also be done as part of a comprehensive behavioral evaluation. These assessments can include the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Social Skills Improvement Rating Scales (SSIS). This measure assesses social skills as well as behavior problems. Finally, The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) is another good tool to consider. The assessment allows for input from teachers, parents, and the individual student.
You might also find this website helpful. http://www.txautism.net/docs/Guide/Evaluation/EmotionalBehavioral.pdf
Thanks for writing in! If you have a question about behavior, please email me at askmissy at applied behavioral strategies dot com.
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