Abbreviations
- ASD:
-
Autism spectrum disorder
- DD:
-
Developmental disability
Description
The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) is an informant rating instrument that was empirically derived by principal component analysis (Aman, Singh, Stewart, & Field, 1985a). It contains 58 items that resolve onto five subscales. The subscales and the respective number of items are as follows: (a) irritability (15 items), (b) lethargy/social withdrawal (16 items), (c) stereotypic behavior (7 items), (d) hyperactivity/noncompliance (16 items), and (e) inappropriate speech (4 items). The ABC was designed to be completed by any adult who knows the client well. This could be a parent, teacher, workshop supervisor, case worker, and possibly informants in other roles as well. Depending upon reading ability, completion time varies, but most raters can complete the ABC in 10–15 min the first time they...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Readings
Aman, M.G.(2012, April). Annotated bibliography on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Unpublished manuscript, The Nisonger Center UAP, Ohio State University, Colombus, OH.
Aman, M. G., Burrow, W., & Wolford, P. L. (1995). The Aberrant Behavior Checklist Community: Factor validity and effect of subject variables for adults in group homes. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 100, 283–292.
Aman, M. G., McDougle, C. J., Scahill, L., Handen, B., Arnold, L. E., Johnson, C., Stigler, K. A., Bearss, K., Butter, E., Swiezy, N. B., Sukhodolsky, D. D., Ramadan, Y., Pozdol, S. L., Nikolov, R., Lecavalier, L., Kohn, A. E., Koenig, K., Hollway, J. A., Korzekwa, P., Gavaletz, A., Mulick, J. A., Hall, K. L., Dziura, J., Ritz, L., Trollinger, S., Yu, S., Vitiello, B., Wagner, A. (Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology). (2009). Medication and parent training in children with pervasive developmental disorders and serious behavior problems: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48, 1143–1154.
Aman, M. G., Novotny, S., Samango-Sprouse, C., Lecavalier, L., Leonard, E., Gadow, K., et al. (2004). Outcome measures for clinical drug trials in autism. CNS Spectrums, 9, 36–47.
Aman, M. G., & Singh, N. N. (1986). Aberrant Behavior Checklist manual. East Aurora, NY: Slosson Educational Publications.
Aman, M. G., & Singh, N. N. (1994). Aberrant Behavior Checklist – community. Supplementary manual. East Aurora, NY: Slosson Educational Publications.
Aman, M. G., Singh, N. N., Stewart, A. W., & Field, C. J. (1985a). The Aberrant Behavior Checklist: A behavior rating scale for the assessment of treatment effects. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89, 485–491.
Aman, M. G., Singh, N. N., Stewart, A. W., & Field, C. J. (1985b). Psychometric characteristics of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89, 492–502.
Aman, M. G., Singh, N. N., & Turbott, S. H. (1987). Reliability of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the effect of variations in instructions. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 92, 237–240.
Berry-Kravis, E., Krause, S., Block, S., Guter, S., Wuu, J., Leurgans, S., et al. (2006). Effect of CX516, an AMPA-modulating compound, on cognition and behavior in fragile X syndrome: A controlled trial. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 16, 525–540.
Bihm, E. M., & Poindexter, A. R. (1991). Cross-validation of the factor structure of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist for persons with mental retardation. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 96, 209–211.
Brinkley, J., Nations, L., Abramson, R. K., Hall, A., Wright, H. H., Gabriels, R. et al. (2007). Factor analysis of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(10), 1949–1959.
Brown, E. C., Aman, M. G., & Havercamp, S. M. (2002). Factor analysis and norms on parent ratings with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist community for young people in special education. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 23, 45–60.
Cicchetti, D. V., & Sparrow, S. A. (1981). Developing criteria for establishing interrater reliability of specific items: Applications to assessment of adaptive behavior. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 86, 127–137.
Conners, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 884–888.
Conners, C. K. (1970). Symptom patterns in hyperkinetic, neurotic, and normal children. Child Development, 141, 667–682.
Freund, L. S., & Reiss, A. L. (1991). Rating problem behaviors in outpatients with mental retardation: Use of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 12, 435–451.
Lecavalier, L., & Aman, M. G. (2005). Rating instruments. In J. L. Matson, R. B. Laud, & M. L. Matson (Eds.), Behavior modification for persons with developmental disabilities: Treatments and supports (Vol. I, pp. 160–189). Kingston, NY: NADD.
Marshburn, E. C., & Aman, M. G. (1992). Factor validity and norms for the Aberrant Behavior Checklist in a community sample of children with mental retardation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 22, 357–373.
Miller, M. L., Fee, V. E., & Netterville, A. K. (2004). Psychometric properties of ADHD rating scales among children with mental retardation I: Reliability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 25, 459–476.
Newton, J. T., & Sturmey, P. (1988). The Aberrant Behaviour (sic) Checklist: A British replication and extension of its psychometric properties. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 32, 87–92.
Ono, Y. (1996). Factor validity and reliability for the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-community in a Japanese population with mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 17, 303–309.
Quay, H. C. (1977). Measuring dimensions of deviant behavior: The behavior problem checklist. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 5, 277–287.
Rojahn, J., & Helsel, W. J. (1991). The Aberrant Behavior Checklist with children and adolescents with dual diagnosis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21, 17–28.
RUPP, Aman, M. G., Arnold, L. E., Lindsay, R., Nash, P., Hollway, J., et al. (2005). Risperidone treatment of autistic disorder: Longer term benefits and blinded discontinuation after six months. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1361–1369.
RUPP, McCracken, J. T., McGough, J., Shah, B., Cronin, P., Hong, D., et al. (2002). A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of risperidone in children with autistic disorder. The New England Journal of Medicine, 347, 314–321.
Schroeder, S. R., Rojahn, J., & Reese, R. M. (1997). Reliability and validity of instruments for assessing psychotropic medication effects on self injurious behavior in mental retardation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 89–102.
Siegfrid, L. W. K. (2000). A study of the reliability and validity of the Chinese version Aberrant Behavior Checklist. M. Sc. Thesis done at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Singh, N. N., & Aman, M. G. (1981). Effects of thioridazine dosage on the behavior of severely mentally retarded persons. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 85, 580–587.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Aman, M.G. (2013). Aberrant Behavior Checklist. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1632
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1632
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1697-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science