This paper describes the development of the Behavioral and Emotional Strengths Scale (BESS), developed as part of a program which focuses on strengths of children usually seen as having severe emotional and/or behavioral disorders. The BESS is a 68-item scale that identifies children's behavioral strengths on five dimensions: (1) self-control; (2) affective development; (3) family involvement; (4) school performance; and (5) self-confidence. The paper reports the results of efforts that establish the scale's content validity, item discrimination, and factor structure. It also notes current efforts to establish norms for the BESS. (DB)