Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) The ABC is a symptom checklist for assessing problem behaviors in individuals ages 6 to 54 with

mental retardation. It is a 58 item checklist which takes about 10 15 minutes to complete. There are five subscales: a) Irritability and Agitation b) Lethargy and Social Withdrawal c) Stereotypic Behavior d) Hyperactivity and Noncompliance and e) Inappropriate Speech. ABC is a sound measure of non-diagnostic or associated features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Brinkley et al., 2006). Shedlack, Hennen, Magee & Cheron (2005) found the ABC identifies salient features of mental illness in individuals with mental retardation. These authors also found the ABC to be a more sensitive tool than the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) in the diagnosis of mental illness in this population. The ABC has been proven to be an effective tool in measuring treatment response (Schroeder, Rojahn & Reese, 1997 and Shedlack et al., 2005). Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI) The BPI is also a 52 item rating scale which measures self injurious behaviors (SIB), stereotyped behavior and aggressive/destructive behavior. This tool addresses these three behavior categories in greater detail than the ABC. This instrument has been found to be reliable and valid measurement of its constructs (Gonzlez et al, 2009 and Rojahn, Matson, Lott, Esbensen & Smalls, 2001). No research could be found regarding the use of this instrument in the diagnosis of mental illnesses. Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior The Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior screens for mental health problems in persons with mental retardation. This tool is a 38 item rating scale. It has been found to be a valid and reliable screening tool (Sturmey, Burcham, Perkins, 1995 and Sturmey, 2009). Kishore, Nizamine,

Nizamie (2005) found this tool would be beneficial in finding behavioral clusters associated with psychiatric diagnoses.

References Brinkley, J., Nations, L., Abramson, R. K., Hall, A., Wright, H. H., Gabriels, R., & ... Cuccaro, M. L. (2007). Factor analysis of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 37(10), 1949-1959. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0327-3 Gonzlez, M. L., Dixon, D. R., Rojahn, J., Esbensen, A. J., Matson, J. L., Terlonge, C., & Smith, K. R. (2009). The behavior problems inventory: Reliability and factor validity in institutionalized adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research In Intellectual Disabilities, 22(3), 223-235. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3148.2008.00429.x Kishore, M. T., Nizamie, S. H., & Nizamie, A. A. (2005). The behavioural profile of psychiatric disorders in persons with intellectual disability. Journal Of Intellectual Disability Research, 49(11), 852-857. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00763.x Rojahn, J., Matson, J. L., Lott, D., Esbensen, A. J., & Smalls, Y. (2001). The behavior problems inventory: An instrument for the assessment of self-injury, stereotyped behavior, and aggression/destruction in individuals with developmental disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(6), 577-588. doi:10.1023/A:1013299028321 Schroeder, S. R., Rojahn, J., & Reese, R. (1997). Brief report: Reliability and validity of instruments for assessing psychotropic medication effects of self-injurious behavior in mental retardation. Journal of Autism And Developmental Disorders, 27(1), 89-102. doi:10.1023/A:1025825322955

Shedlack, K. J., Hennen, J., Magee, C., & Cheron, D. M. (2005). Brief reports: A comparison of the aberrant behavior checklist and the GAF among adults with mental retardation and mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 56(4), 484-6. Sturmey, P., Burcham, J. A., & Shaw, B. (1996). The frequency of Reiss Screen diagnoses in a community sample of adults with mental retardation. Behavioral Interventions, 11(2), 8794.