Rating Scales. Two rating scales are used for the IPAS as indicated below.
Rating Scales. Rating scales are among the main components of an assessment battery (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, 2013) for assessing behavioral, social, and emotional concerns; specifically, they are commonly used for screening and as part of the diagnostic process for internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depression (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, 2014). They are typically self-administered questionnaires completed by multiple informants that focus on current or recent symptoms and behavior, and they are a standardized and objectively scored method of measuring perceptions of behavior (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, 2013). Rating scales are often viewed as an efficient or cost effective way to assess symptoms and, therefore, are often used as screening instruments when there are behavioral concerns. When scores are elevated, a more comprehensive evaluation is typically completed; however, if informants do not accurately report symptoms, false negatives or false positives can occur (Xxxxx et al., 2005). Perceived advantages of rating scales for assessment include: (a) cost effectiveness, (b) brevity (i.e., can learn a lot about the problem in a short amount of time), (c) can provide a summary of rater perceptions over time of the child or adolescent’s behavior in natural environments (e.g., home or school), and (d) allow one to obtain data from individuals (e.g., parents, teachers, caregivers, etc.) who are most familiar with the child or adolescent and her/his behavior (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, 2013). There are, however, some disadvantages with rating scales as assessment tools, which are detailed in what follows below.
Rating Scales to obtain a sample of behavior which occurs outside the office setting.
