AAIDD Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

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AAIDDDiagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• - Marc J. Tassé, Schalock, Balboni, Bersani,
  Duffy, Scherba de Valenzuela, Spreat, Thissen,
  Widaman, Zhang.
• American Psychological Association
• 116th Annual Convention
• August 14 17, 2008

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale
Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D. University of
New Mexico David M. Thissen, Ph.D. University of
North Carolina - CH Keith F. Widaman,
Ph.D. University of California-Davis Dalun
Zhang, Ph.D. Texas AM University

• Giulia Balboni, Ph.D.
• Università della Valle d'Aosta
• Hank Bersani Jr., Ph.D.
• Western Oregon University
• Sharon A. Duffy, Ph.D.
• University of California-Riverside
• Robert L. Schalock, Ph.D.
• Hastings College
• Scott Spreat, Ed.D.
• Woodland Center for Challenging Behaviors

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Why do we need another AB scale?
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Adaptive Behavior Scales

• Adaptive Behavior Assessment Instruments
• 1935 N 1 (Vineland Social Maturity Scale)
• AAIDD introduces AB in definition 1959
• 1979 N 200 (Meyers, Nihira, Zetlin, 1979)
• 2008 N 400 measures of adaptive behavior

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Assessment of Adaptive Behavior

• Purpose of Adaptive Behavior Measures?
• The adaptive behavior approach was originally
  intended to encourage one to look at the
  individuals with an eye toward remediation and
  prescriptive assessment, rather than merely
  labeling and classifying.
• 
  Nihira (1999 page 8).

Diagnosis of intellectual disability
Planning services supports
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Why do we need another AB scale?
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Why do we need another AB scale?
Diagnosis of intellectual disability
Planning services supports
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Defining Features of the DABS

• Exclusively diagnostic focus on cut-off

• TODAY There are 4 adaptive behavior instruments
  appropriate diagnosis of intellectual
  disability.
• Vineland-II
• ABAS-II
• SIB-R
• ABS-SE

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Exclusively diagnostic focus on cut-off
• Short-precise assessment instrument

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Exclusively diagnostic focus on cut-off
• Short-precise assessment instrument
• Tailored to the AAIDD tri-partite definition of
  adaptive behavior

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Adaptive Behavior What is it?

• Adaptive behavior is the collection of
  conceptual, social, and practical skills
  performed that have been learned by people in
  order to function in their everyday lives.
• - Luckasson et
  al. (2002 page 14)

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Social skills
• interpersonal skills, responsibility,
  self-esteem, wariness/naïveté, follow rules,
  etiquette, social problem solving.
• Practical skills
• activities of daily living, occupational skills,
  safety, healthcare, travel.
• Conceptual skills
• language, functional academics, self-direction,
  money management, time concepts.

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Expand upon higher order social adaptive skills
• Gullibility/Naïveté
• Avoid Victimization
• Consulted experts in the field to assist us in
  writing item stems
• Avoids relationships that are hurtful or
  exploitative.
• Recognizes whom to trust when making an important
  decision.
• Recognizes when someone if trying to manipulate
  them.
• Can tell when someone is lying to him/her.

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Exclusively diagnostic focus on cut-off
• Short-precise assessment instrument
• Tailored to the AAIDD tri-partite definition of
  adaptive behavior
• No maladaptive behavior scale

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Use Item Response Theory
• Scale development/refinement
• Item administration (tailored testing)

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Defining Features of the DABS

• Cultural / geographic / linguistic sensitivity or
  bias
• Cross-cultural US Experts (African-Americans,
  Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans,
  Native-Americans)
• Repairs minor damage to clothing (e.g., tear,
  missing button).
• Gets off the bus or train at the correct stop.
• Orders items by telephone or internet.
• Uses a knife to cut food.

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• AAIDD
• Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Age 4 21 years old
• Administration
• Semi-structured interview
• Face-to-face Interviewer ? Respondent

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Interviewer Qualifications
• Completed at least a Bachelors degree
• Has several years of direct work experience with
  people with an intellectual disability or closely
  related developmental disabilities
• Has previous assessment experience
• Examples of individuals who can potentially serve
  as interviewers are
• psychologist, social worker, counselor, teacher,
  graduate student, etc.

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Selecting Respondents
• The respondent providing the information for
  completing the DABS should know the individual
  very well and have had the opportunity to observe
  this person on a daily or weekly basis,
  preferably in a variety of settings, and over an
  extended period of time.
• Respondents should be adults and may be selected
  from family members, friends, teachers,
  employers/colleagues, or staff personnel.
• The individual whose adaptive behavior is being
  assessed is NOT considered an appropriate
  respondent (i.e., no self-report).

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DABS Rating System

• 0 No rarely or never does it.
• 1 Yes does it with reminders or assistance
  but
• rarely or never independently.
• 2 Yes does it sometimes independently but
• sometimes needs reminders or
  assistance.
• 3 Yes does it always or almost always
• independently never or rarely needs
  reminders
• or assistance.
• NS No Score.

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DABS Rating System

• NS No Score
• No Score person has a physical impairment that
  impedes performance of this skill.
• No Score lack of opportunity due to cultural,
  gender, and/or geographic/regional factors.
• No Score lack of opportunity due to
  environmental constraints.
• No Score respondent has no direct knowledge of
  individuals typical performance.

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Standardization item pools
• Conceptual 94 items
• Practical 86 items
• Social 80 items

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DABS Sample Items

• CONCEPTUAL SKILLS
• (communication)
• Follows verbal directions.
• Communicates ideas through oral, sign, or written
  language (includes assistive technology).
• (money concepts)
• Plans how his/her money will be spent.
• (time)
• Uses clock or other timepiece to determine when
  it is time to do something (e.g., go to
  school/work, eat, or be home).

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DABS Sample Items

• SOCIAL SKILLS
• (inter-personal)
• Stays on the topic in group conversations.
• Introduces self to others.
• (gullibility)
• Questions others when he/she is told something
  that may not be true.
• Recognizes signs that someone is trying to
  exploit him/ her.

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DABS Sample Items

• PRACTICAL SKILLS
• (activities of daily living)
• Uses the restroom.
• Dresses appropriately depending on the occasion.
• (occupational skills)
• Completes work assignments.
• (maintains safe environment/safety)
• Properly stores dangerous household cleaning
  products.
• Shows safety awareness when crossing streets
  (e.g., checks for traffic before crossing
  streets).

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Standardization of DABS

• Normalization - 4 to 21 years old typically
  developing
• US Census
• Race/ethnicity
• Education levels
• Geographic representation

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DABS

• SCORES
• Conceptual M 100 SD 15
• Social M 100 SD 15
• Practical M 100 SD 15
• FULL SCALE M 100 SD 15

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior ScaleClosing Remarks

• Consistent with AAIDD Diagnostic Manual
• Diagnosis
• Brief but precise
• Recent norms based on general population
• Standardized measure of adaptive behavior (4 to
  21 years old)
• Based on most current research and psychometric
  science
• Reduce the number of culturally/geographically-bia
  sed items.

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Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

• Marc J. Tassé, Ph.D.
• Florida Center for Inclusive Communities UCEDD
• University of South Florida
• Email mtasse_at_fmhi.usf.edu
• American Psychological Association
• 116th Annual Convention
• August 14 17, 2008