Publication Date
5-2009
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Dr. Carl Myers (Director),Dr. Lekeisha Meyer,Dr. Elizabeth Jones
Degree Program
Department of Psychology
Degree Type
Specialist in Education
Abstract
In recent years, autism diagnoses have steadily increased, putting a substantial emphasis on early identification as a crucial component for intervention. Autism diagnoses, however, often require a thorough and comprehensive assessment from a highly trained practitioner. Although ideal, such assessments are often time consuming and expensive, creating a need for a quicker, more simplistic method of screening for autism. Clinicians customarily used behavior rating scales to identify a number of various problem behaviors and/or disorders. The purpose of the present study is to examine the utility of two common behavior rating scales in accurately discriminating between a group of preschoolers with autism and a group of referred preschoolers with autism. Parents/guardians of 74 preschoolers with and without autism, who had been referred to a child development clinic due to behavioral or developmental concerns, completed both behavior rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment. Although analyses revealed significant differences between the two groups of participants on two of the scales from one of the instruments, these findings demonstrate little clinical value for screening purposes.
Disciplines
Clinical Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Psychology
Recommended Citation
McReynolds, Brandy Mickele, "Behavior Rating Scales as Screeners for Autism? A Closer Look at the CAB-P and CBCL/1.5-5" (2009). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 68.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/68