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).

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.