Cut-offs, norms and patterns of problem behaviours in children with developmental disabilities on the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT-Part 3)

Abstract

Purpose: Challenging behaviours present major impediments to a young child's life. Being able to properly assess these behaviours can lead to early intervention and remediation.Method: In the present study, the problem behaviours of 644 children 17–37 months of age who were at risk for developmental disabilities were studied using the BISCUIT-Part 3. In study one, norms and cut-off scores were established for this new scale using this sample. In study 2, the frequency and patterns of various challenging behaviours were evaluated.Results: The majority of developmentally delayed children who had severe challenging behaviours engaged in aggressive/destructive acts. However, severe problem behaviours were in the minority of occurrence.Conclusions: Outcomes suggest that these behaviours can be identified at an early age using a validated instrument tool. Implications are that pinpointing emerging problematic behaviours allows for a more accurate assessment of the delayed child's overall functioning. Being able to pinpoint behaviour problems allows for earlier and more effective treatment.