BASC-2

Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2)



Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2)

Universal screening for emotional and behavioral problems of students is becoming increasingly important activity for the school system to consider. Given that students with emotional and behavioral problems of the poor school results (Rones and Hoagwood, 2000), school screening may provide opportunities for early identification and intervention, ultimately, preventing the development of more serious problems and to promote more positive results in the future ( Dowdy, Furlong, Eklund, Saeki, and Ritchie, in press). However, despite its reclamation potential, only about 2% of the schools in the United States implement universal screening effort (Romer and McIntosh, 2005). Given that schools often function as de facto mental health system for students and teenagers (Rones and Hoagwood), school context provides a unique opportunity to systematically identify and support services for students with emotional and behavioral problems.

Screening and School Psychology

As data-based lawyers for the students, school psychologists can help identify students with emotional and behavioral risks, advocating and implementing universal screening in local schools. As they embark on such efforts, school psychologists should be aware of several key considerations (Dowdy et al., In press). First, universal screening should never be isolated - it should always be integrated into the broader framework of student support. Secondly, screening efforts should always be accompanied by clearly defined objectives, including monitoring of progress and service goals. Third, the pragmatic implementation of screening - who, when and where - should be established through careful consideration and planning. Finally, decisions must be made about what types of emotional and behavioral problems to identify and, accordingly, that a screening tool to use.

To date, there are several research-based tools for school psychologists to use, although not all are suited to each school context. Thus, when choosing a screening tool, it is recommended that school psychologists, we first consider three key aspects (Glover and Albers, 2007): (a) in a match between the barrier, the major purpose test, and the support system surrounding the selection process, (b) technical adequacy - including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and psychometric properties of the instrument, and (c) social justice (i.e., practicality and feasibility of) the use of screening and management among the selection of the typical responsibilities of school and circumstances (e.g., Caldarella , Young, Richardson, Young, and Young, 2008). Taking into account the above considerations, as well as the nature of school psychological services, Dowdy et al. (In press) recommend that the four instruments as potentially useful for universal screening of school: Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), Children's Symptom Checklist (Little, Murphy, Jellinek, Bishop, and Arnett, 1994) Systematic screening for behavior disease (Walker & Severson, 1992), and the behavior assessment system for children-2 behavioral and emotional screening system (BASC-2 BESS; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007).

BASC-2 behavioral and emotional screening system

BESS (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007) is the last and least studied of the four recommended screening tools. It is used to identify emotional and behavioral strengths and weaknesses of students from preschool through high school, ...