The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief instrument developed primarily for screening children and adolescents for social-emotional learning. The SDQ contains four factors related to socio-emotional difficulties and one factor related to prosocial behaviour. However, studies of its factor structure have produced mixed results.…

The Autism Impact Measure (AIM) was designed to track incremental change in frequency and impact of core ASD symptoms. The current study examined the structural and convergent validity of the AIM in a large sample of children with ASD. The results of a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a final model with five…

This study examines the construct validity of the First-Year Inventory 2.0 with respect to other established instruments in a sample of high-risk infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The First-Year Inventory 2.0 is a parent-report screening instrument designed to identify 12-month-old infants at risk for an eventual diagnosis…

In the current study, the strength-based questionnaire Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM)--Research Edition was for the first time applied in a nationally representative sample of 0- to 6-year-old children. The focus of this study was the measurement properties of a Danish adaptation of SEAM. Rasch analysis was used to examine…

The present study investigated evidence of the construct validity of scores from the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-3), which is a multi-informant assessment designed to measure the behavioral and emotional strengths of school-aged youth. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the degree to which BERS-3 scores differed between…

In the present study, the aim is to adapt the scale developed by Merrell, Felver-Gant and Tom (2011) to evaluate Social-Emotional Competence of Children and Young People among 60-72 months old children. Data have been obtained 200 preschool children attending preschool institutions. In testing validity of the scale, expert opinions are taken…

Assessing complex constructs such as those discussed under the umbrella of 21st century constructs highlights the need for a principled assessment design and validation approach. In our discussion, we made a case for three considerations: (a) taking construct complexity into account across various stages of assessment development such as the…

Background: There is a relative lack of measures tailored to the study of fathers of children with developmental challenges (DCs). The goal of the current study was to create and validate a brief measure designed to capture the perceptions and experiences of these fathers. The Fathers of Children with Developmental Challenges (FCDC) questionnaire…

In the current investigation, the authors examined the diagnostic construct validity of the "Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form" (MMPI-2-RF) in a patient sample. All participants were diagnosed via the "Structured Clinical Interview" for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I/P). The data set used in this…

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the validity of the social-moral awareness test (SMAT) a measure designed for assessing socio-moral rule knowledge and reasoning in people with learning disabilities. Comparisons between Theory of Mind and socio-moral reasoning allowed the exploration of construct validity of the tool. Factor…

This study evaluated the utility of the social competence scale (SCS)-parent version, a measure of social competence developed for children of elementary school age, for use with preschool-age children. Data were derived from two samples of preschoolers: a community sample assessed at enrollment to pre-kindergarten programs and a high-risk sample…

The present study examines the validity of the Dutch Children's Communication Checklist (CCC) for children in kindergarten in a community sample, in order to assess the feasibility of using it as a screening instrument in the general population. Teachers completed the CCC for a representative sample of 1396 children at kindergarten level, taken…

Describes the development and initial validation of the Encouragement Scale. Results from three studies support the internal consistency, test-retest stability, and validity of the scores. Use of the scale as a research tool to measure attitudes necessary for effective personal relationships is supported. (RJM)

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Social Skills Scale of the Social Skills Rating System-Teacher Form (SSRS-T) with a sample of children attending elementary schools in Puerto Rico (N = 357). The SSRS-T was developed for use with English-speaking children. Although translated, adapted, and…

Two studies investigated the construct validity of the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS), a new behavior rating scale for assessing children's social behavior, and relationships between characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and children's social behavior. Results indicated a strong link between social behavior…