Social-Emotional Characteristics of Preschool-Aged Children Referred for Child Find Screening and Assessment: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Differences in parent ratings of social-emotional behavior among young children referred for Child Find screening and assessment and nonreferred children were examined. Participants included 64 preschool-aged children referred for Child Find screening and assessment (CF group) and 64 preschool-aged children without such referrals or identified disabilities (Comparison group). The Comparison group was matched to the CF group by gender and age, using a randomized block procedure. Social-emotional behavior of the participants was assessed using parent ratings on the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale (PKBS), a social skills and problem-behavior rating scale for use with children aged 3–6. PKBS scores were found to classify the participants into their respective groups with a substantial degree of accuracy. Significant differences were found between the two groups in social skills and problem behavior scores, with the CF participants evidencing greater social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than the participants in the Comparison group. An inspection of frequency distributions of the two groups revealed that children referred for Child Find screening were approximately four times as likely to have significant social deficits, and approximately six times as likely to have significant problem-behavior excesses than their nonreferred comparison peers. New validity evidence for the PKBS is provided, along with recommendations for future research and clinical practice with the Child Find population.