Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Difficulties
Thomas M. Achenbach
Abstract: This article presents practical tools for evidence-based assessment of students’ behavioral/emotional/social difficulties and
strengths in culturally sensitive ways. The assessment instruments obtain teacher, parent, and student ratings, plus observations in
classrooms and other group settings, in interviews, and in testing sessions. To document differences in students’ functioning in school and
other contexts, plus differences between teacher, parent, and student perspectives, users can display cross-informant comparisons of ratings
of specific difficulties items. Users can also display cross-informant comparisons between bar graphs of scores on empirically derived
syndromes, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems. Scale scores are standardized according to norms for
students’ gender and age, type of informant (teacher, parent, student), and multicultural norms. Multicultural norms are based on teacher,
parent, and student ratings of population samples of students in many societies. The ratings were used to construct gender-, age-, and
informant-specific norms for societies having relatively low difficulties scores, medium scores, or high scores. The assessment instruments
can be used to identify students who need help and to tailor interventions to students’ needs. The same instruments can be used to measure
changes by comparing pre- versus post-intervention scores. Brief instruments assess progress over short periods.
School personnel in many countries must deal with students’ The Need for Multi-Informant
behavioral difficulties. Concerns about these difficulties
are increasing, because schools are increasingly expected Assessment
to take responsibility for difficulties that might previously
have prevented youths from attending school. Whether Students often function differently in different contexts
or not such difficulties are actually increasing in the youth and are perceived differently by different people. For
population as a whole, school personnel need to assess example, a student’s mathematics teacher may report
them because of increasing obligations to educate students difficulties indicative of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
despite such difficulties. Moreover, assessment of students’ Disorder (ADHD). However, one of the student’s parents
difficulties must be sensitive to cultural differences among may feel that the student does not have ADHD, because
students. the student concentrates intensely on videogames at home.
This article presents practical tools for assessing Discrepancies between teacher and parent reports are
students’ behavioral difficulties from multiple perspectives. common, as revealed by a mean Pearson correlation (r)
Because behavioral difficulties are so often intertwined with of only .27 between teacher and parent ratings of students’
emotional and social difficulties, I refer to behavioral/ difficulties in a meta-analysis of many studies (Achenbach,
emotional/social difficulties. McConaughy, & Howell, 1987). Discrepancies between
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000448
128 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
teacher and parent reports may be caused partly by differ- as teachers, parents, and the students themselves.
ences between students’ behavior at school versus home. To advance evidence-based assessment of students’ diffi-
Discrepancies may also be caused by differences between culties, it is necessary to use instruments that reliably and
teacher and parent perspectives, opportunities to observe validly document both the differences and similarities in
students, and tendencies to notice, remember, and report how students function and in how they are perceived in
different aspects of what is observed. Consequently, the different contexts. It is equally necessary to help school
r of only .27 between teacher and parent ratings is not and mental health professionals understand the value of
surprising. documenting informant discrepancies in order to obtain
The same meta-analytic study found a mean r of .60 more comprehensive understanding of individual students
between ratings by pairs of adults who play similar roles than afforded by diagnostic constructs such as ADHD.
and who observe students in similar contexts, including Discrepancies between teacher, parent, and student
pairs of teachers, pairs of parents, pairs of mental health reports indicate that different informants often provide
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
workers, and pairs of direct observers (Achenbach et al., potentially valuable information about different aspects of
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
1987). Although the mean r of .60 indicates substantially students’ functioning. Consequently, assessment of stu-
better agreement between pairs of similar informants than dents’ difficulties should include data from multiple infor-
between teachers and parents, the mean r of .60 neverthe- mants whenever possible. In addition to teacher, parent,
less indicates that reports by similar informants may also be and student reports, it is also helpful to obtain direct obser-
discrepant. For example, unlike the mathematics teacher vations of students’ functioning in settings such as class-
who reported ADHD difficulties, the student’s history rooms, group activities, interviews, and administration of
teacher may report no ADHD difficulties. And, unlike the individual ability and achievement tests. The following
parent who reported intense concentration on videogames, sections present multi-informant instruments collectively
the student’s other parent may report ADHD difficulties known as the Achenbach System of Empirically Based
because the student fails to attend to homework. Assessment (ASEBA). Subsequent sections present methods
The 1987 meta-analyses obtained a mean r of .20 between for obtaining, displaying, and comparing data from differ-
teachers’ ratings and students’ self-ratings and a mean r of ent informants, multicultural findings and norms, and
.25 between parents’ ratings and students’ self-ratings, indi- practical applications to initial assessments of students,
cating that students’ self-ratings also tend to differ from brief assessments of responses to interventions, and out-
both teachers’ and parents’ ratings of the students. Since come assessments.
the meta-analytic findings were published three decades
ago, hundreds of studies have found similarly modest
correlations between teacher, parent, and self-ratings
(De Los Reyes et al., 2015). Comparisons of teacher ratings, Multi-Informant Assessment
parent ratings, and student self-ratings on parallel assess-
ment instruments have found similar patterns of cross-
Instruments
informant discrepancies in dozens of societies (Rescorla
ASEBA instruments are designed to assess difficulties
et al., 2013, 2014).
and strengths in developmentally appropriate ways for ages
1½ to 90+ years (Achenbach, 2009). This section focuses on
instruments for assessing students’ difficulties and strengths
Documenting Informant Discrepancies on the basis of data obtained from teachers, parents,
Does Not Threaten Validity students, observers, interviewers, and test administrators.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties 129
age ranges. Another tenet is that well-supported patterns and to delete items that are rarely endorsed, that are not
of co-occurring characteristics can serve as taxonomic understood by informants, or that fail to discriminate
constructs for modeling psychopathology within particular between referred versus nonreferred students.
age periods. Implementation of the theoretical framework Ratings of the surviving items for large samples of
involves: students are subjected to exploratory factor analyses (EFAs)
1. Construction of standardized developmentally appro- and then to confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to derive
priate instruments for assessing large samples of indi- and validate syndromes of co-occurring difficulties. Each
viduals on the basis of data from different kinds of syndrome is given a descriptive label that summarizes the
informants. difficulties comprising the syndrome.
2. Multivariate statistical analyses of the assessment data
to identify sets of difficulties that tend to co-occur.
3. Multi-level analyses from which to derive hierarchical Instrument Contents
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
130 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
kind of informant. Many items have counterparts on all during the preceding minute. At the end of a 10-min
three instruments, whereas some items are specific to the sample, the observer rates 88 difficulties items. Some items
TRF, CBCL/6–18, or YSR. For example, Unhappy, sad, or – such as Unhappy, sad, or depressed – have counterparts on
depressed is on all three instruments, whereas Disrupts class the TRF, CBCL/6–18, and TRF, whereas other items – such
discipline is on only the TRF. Disobedient at home is on the as Physically isolates self from others – do not.
CBCL/6–18 and YSR, but not on the TRF. All three instru- To obtain a more representative sample of a student’s
ments have open-ended items for describing the best things functioning than afforded by any single time sample,
about the student, plus concerns about the student. multiple 10-min samples should be observed during
EFAs and CFAs of ratings of difficulties items have yielded mornings and afternoons on different days. The DOF aver-
syndromes of covarying difficulties that have been given the ages item, scale, and on-task scores obtained for up to six
following descriptive labels: Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn/ 10-min samples. The difficulties scales include factor-
Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Social Problems, Thought analytically derived syndromes, DSM-oriented scales, and
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Aggressive Behavior. Dimensional scores are computed by To provide comparisons with other students in the same
summing an informant’s ratings of the items comprising a environment, the DOF should be used to rate observations
syndrome. Second-order factor analyses have yielded a of one randomly selected student of the same gender as the
broad group of covarying syndromes designated as Internal- identified student during the 10 min before the identified
izing, which comprises the Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn/ student is observed and one during the 10 min after the
Depressed, and Somatic Complaints syndromes. The sec- identified student is observed. The DOF displays the com-
ond-order factor analyses have also yielded a broad group parison students’ scores on profiles next to the identified
of covarying difficulties designated as Externalizing, which student’s scores in relation to gender-specific norms based
comprises the Rule-Breaking Behavior and Aggressive on large samples of students observed in many different
Behavior syndromes. Broad-band Internalizing and Exter- schools.
nalizing scales are scored by summing the scores of their
constituent syndromes. A general psychopathology dimen- Semistructured Clinical Interview for Children
sion – designated as Total Problems – is scored by summing and Adolescents (SCICA)
ratings on all difficulties items. The SCICA assesses more subtle characteristics of students’
Difficulties are also scored on scales corresponding to functioning than can be assessed by observations in group
diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Associa- settings or by teacher, parent, or self-ratings (McConaughy
tion’s (2013) “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth & Achenbach, 2001). These characteristics can be elicited
Edition” (DSM-5). Strengths are scored on scales desig- during interactions with an experienced interviewer and
nated as Activities, Social, School, Total Competence, can help in evaluating a student’s amenability to counseling
Academic Performance, Adaptive Functioning, and Positive and talking therapies.
Qualities. The SCICA’s protocol of open-ended questions guides the
interviewer, who can then follow up with more specific
Observer, Interviewer, and Test questions regarding difficulties reported by the student’s
teachers and/or parents. The student is encouraged to talk
Administrator Instruments about his/her activities, likes and dislikes, feelings, difficul-
In addition to instruments for obtaining teacher, parent, ties, relationships, stresses, and wishes. The SCICA can
and self-ratings, the ASEBA includes instruments for include whatever is brought up by the student or interviewer.
assessing students on the basis of observations in specific With the student’s permission, the SCICA session is
contexts during specified time samples, as outlined in the audio- or video-recorded to provide documentation that
following sections. the interviewer can check following the interview. The inter-
viewer also writes notes in spaces provided on the SCICA
Direct Observation Form (DOF) protocol. Following the interview, the interviewer rates the
The DOF uses time samples of observations to assess stu- student on 120 observational items (e.g., Acts too young for
dents’ functioning during school classes and during group age; Argues; Avoids eye contact) and 126 self-report items
activities, such as recess (McConaughy & Achenbach, (e.g., Reports being confused; Reports being treated unfairly;
2009). Using the DOF, an observer (e.g., teacher aide, Reports being unhappy, sad, or depressed). The SCICA item
paraprofessional, counselor, etc.) writes a narrative descrip- ratings are summed to yield scores for syndromes,
tion of a student’s difficulties and on-task behavior during a DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total
10-min observational sample. At the end of each 1-min Problems in relation to norms based on large samples of
interval, the observer rates whether the student was on-task students assessed with the SCICA.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties 131
Test Observation Form (TOF) it is important to obtain data from more than one informant
When concerns about a student warrant individual ability whenever possible. To make full use of data from multiple
or achievement testing, the test situation provides excep- informants, it is essential to display the data in ways that
tional opportunities for test administrators to observe reveal both discrepancies and agreements between difficul-
students’ reactions to academic tasks and challenges. ties reported by different informants. Ratings of difficulties
The TOF assesses behavioral/emotional/social difficulties items by up to 10 informants can be displayed in side-by-
manifested by students while they are being tested side comparisons. As an example, if a teacher, a parent,
(McConaughy & Achenbach, 2004). During the test, the and a student rate the student, the user can compare
administrator writes brief observational notes on the TOF. ratings by each informant on items that have counterparts
Following the test, the administrator rates 124 difficulties on the TRF, CBCL/6–18, and YSR. The user can then iden-
that are potentially observable in the test situation. Exam- tify items on which ratings by the different informants
ples include: Difficulty following directions; Tremors in hands agree and items on which they disagree. The user can also
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
or fingers; Flat affect; and Unhappy, sad, or depressed. display bar graphs of scores for each syndrome and DSM-
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
The TOF item ratings are summed to yield scores for oriented scale scored from the TRF, CBCL/6–18, and
syndromes, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externaliz- YSR. Each bar is standardized on the basis of norms for
ing, and Total Problems in relation to norms for the the student’s gender and age, the type of informant
student’s gender and age. The TOF results can help test (teacher, parent, student), and the appropriate multicultural
administrators evaluate whether ability and/or achieve- norm group (explained later).
ment test scores are valid estimates of the student’s abilities
and achievement, as well as whether particular behavioral/
emotional/social difficulties may interfere with the Case Illustration
student’s academic functioning. The results can be placed To illustrate cross-informant comparisons of scale scores,
in the student’s record to provide much more detailed Figure 1 displays bar graphs scored for the eight factor-
and explicit documentation of a student’s test behavior than analytically derived syndromes scored from TRFs com-
test administrators would typically have time to provide. pleted by two teachers, CBCL/6–18 forms completed by
both parents, and the YSR completed by 12-year-old Sandra
to describe herself (names have been changed to English
Normative Samples, Test-Retest language versions and personal details are fictitious). Scores
Reliabilities, and Cronbach’s α that are below the bottom broken line on each graph are in
the normal range (< 93rd percentile; T scores < 65 for
Table 1 summarizes ASEBA instruments for assessing
12-year-old girls). Scores that are between the two broken
students, the normative sample sizes, test-retest reliabili-
lines are in the borderline clinical range (93rd–97th
ties, and Cronbach’s α. Extensive validity data have been
percentiles; T scores 65–69 for 12-year-old girls). And
published for all the instruments, including discrimination
scores that are above the top broken line are in the clinical
between students referred for special education and/or
range (> 97th percentile; T scores > 69 for 12-year-old girls).
mental health services versus demographically similar non-
By looking at the right-hand box in the middle row of
referred students. These data are detailed in the instru-
Figure 1, you can see that ratings by both teachers yielded
ments’ manuals, which also detail correlations between
scores in the borderline clinical range for the Attention
the instruments’ scores and scores from other instruments,
Problems syndrome. However, ratings by both parents
plus the normative and reliability findings that are summa-
yielded scores well down in the normal range for the Atten-
rized in Table 1 (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001, 2007;
tion Problems syndrome. The higher scores yielded by the
McConaughy & Achenbach, 2001, 2004, 2009). Hundreds
teachers’ ratings indicate that Sandra manifests attentional
of peer-reviewed publications report reliability and validity
difficulties in school that are not evident to her parents.
data obtained in other ways (Bérubé & Achenbach, 2017).
These findings suggest that interventions to help Sandra
should especially focus on her attentional problems in
school. By contrast, Sandra’s parents but not her teacher
Cross-Informant Comparisons rated her in the clinical or borderline clinical range on the
Aggressive Behavior syndrome shown in the middle of
As mentioned earlier, students often function differently in the bottom row of boxes in Figure 1. These findings suggest
different contexts and may be perceived differently by that Sandra needs help with aggressive behavior that occurs
teachers, parents, and the students themselves (De Los more with her parents than with her teachers. Elevations in
Reyes, 2011; De Los Reyes et al., 2015). Because each the Somatic Complaints and Social Problems scores
informant may provide different but valid information, obtained from ratings by some informants suggest that
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
132 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
Sandra also needs help in these areas. The comparisons of comprehensive assessment and case formulation needed
teacher, parent, and self-ratings of specific items may for effective help.
additionally reveal specific difficulties that are rated higher
by Sandra’s teachers than by her parents or herself, and
vice versa. These difficulties may therefore warrant being
targeted for help in one context but not another. Multicultural Findings
The different difficulties reported by different infor-
mants reflect the fact that students such as Sandra often The increasing cultural diversity of students in many
function differently in different contexts and with differ- schools must be taken into account when assessing
ent interaction partners. Consequently, efforts to help behavioral/emotional/social difficulties. To obtain data
Sandra may require different methods to ameliorate her from students and their parents, translations of assessment
attentional difficulties in school than to ameliorate her instruments may be needed in languages other than the
aggressive behavior at home, as well to ameliorate dominant language of the school personnel. Assessment
her somatic complaints and social difficulties. Help for instruments should be empirically supported for use in
Sandra’s attentional difficulties in school is likely to require multiple societies and cultural groups. ASEBA instruments
collaboration with her teachers to alter contingencies that are available in some 100 languages including 37 European
affect her attention and to assess changes in her school languages (listed at www.aseba.org). Published studies
functioning. Analogously, help for Sandra’s aggressive report use of ASEBA instruments in over 100 societies
behavior, somatic complaints, and social difficulties is and cultural groups (Bérubé & Achenbach, 2017). Indige-
likely to require collaboration with her parents to alter nous researchers have used ASEBA instruments to assess
family dynamics and to assess changes. The essential population samples in over 50 societies where CFAs have
point is that both similarities and differences between supported ASEBA syndromes (Ivanova et al., 2010, 2011;
reports by different informants contribute to the kind of Ivanova, Achenbach, Rescorla, Turner, Ahmeti-Pronaj,
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
90
T
S 80
C
O 70
R
E 60
50
57 55 62 61 59 54 54 59 59 61 68-B 62 64 66-B 57
CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5 CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5 CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
90
T
S 80
C
O 70
R
E 60
50
61 64 62 68-B 66-B 60 56 62 57 51 54 59 67-B 67-B 63
CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5 CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5 CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5
50
51 57 50 50 54 77-C 65-B 62 64 59
CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5 CBC1 CBC2 TRF3 TRF4 YSR5
Figure 1. Cross-informant comparisons of syndrome scale scores for 12-year-old Sandra (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2015a; Reproduced by permission).
et al., 2015; Ivanova, Achenbach, Rescorla, Turner, students have been reported from the Zuid Holland
Árnadottir, et al., 2015; Rescorla, Ivanova, et al., 2012). longitudinal study, the Tracking Adolescents’ Individ-
ual Lives Survey (TRAILS), the Generation R Project
(R = Rotterdam), and many studies generated by the
Multicultural Correlations Between Mean Netherlands Twin Registry (Boomsma, van Beijsterveldt, &
Item Ratings Hudziak, 2005; Ormel et al., 2012; Reef, Diamantopoulou,
van Meurs, Verhulst, & van der Ende, 2009; Tiemeier
The CFA results indicate similar patterns of covariation
et al., 2012). Articles also report use of ASEBA instru-
among difficulties items rated by parents, by teachers,
ments in 36 other European societies (Bérubé & Achenbach,
and by youths in many societies. Additional tests of
2017).
multicultural similarities in patterns of item ratings were
performed as follows: for each society that provided a
population-based sample for a particular instrument (e.g., Hierarchical Linear Modeling of Societal,
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties 135
lower mean height would cause too many individuals in mean of the “Group 2” societies (whose mean Total Prob-
that society to be identified as candidates for help for lems scores ranged from 1 SD to +1 SD around the omni-
stunted growth. cultural mean) and because the US norms had already been
used in many research and clinical applications, the US
norms were adopted for Group 2. Similar procedures were
Construction of Multicultural Norms followed for constructing multicultural Group 1, 2, and 3
Because it is important to take account of societal differ- norms for the CBCL/6–18 and YSR (Achenbach & Rescorla,
ences in difficulties scale scores, three sets of multicultural 2007). Multicultural norm groups for societies from which
norms have been constructed for the TRF, CBCL/6–18, and indigenous researchers have provided population samples
YSR. The multicultural norms were constructed as follows, are listed at www.aseba.org, including 25 European
using the TRF as an example: the TRF Total Problems societies.
score (sum of 0–1–2 ratings on all TRF difficulties items)
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
136 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
of all the societies but the YSR scores were among the high- counselor to ask Jack’s mother to fill out the CBCL/6–18
est. The reasons for the low parents’ ratings of the same and to consent to asking Jack to fill out the YSR. Because
items rated by their daughters and sons might include lack Jack’s mother was not sufficiently fluent in the language
of awareness of the students’ difficulties and/or a desire to of host Society F, she completed the Society E translation
“save face” by not endorsing difficulties, although very few of the CBCL/6–18. When given a choice of the Society E
Japanese parents gave ratings of 0 to all difficulties items. or Society F version of the YSR, Jack chose the Society F
Comparisons of CBCL/6–18 and TRF ratings (on corre- version.
sponding items) for 27,962 students in 21 societies showed The graphs in Figure 2 show that the teacher’s concern
that CBCL/6–18 scores were higher than TRF scores in all about attention difficulties was corroborated by TRF and
societies except Thailand (Rescorla et al., 2014). Discrepan- CBCL/6–18 scores in the clinical range for the Attention
cies between parent and teacher ratings are not surprising Deficit/Hyperactivity scale. However, the graphs also show
in view of parents’ and teachers’ different roles and the that Jack’s mother and teacher additionally reported
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
different conditions under which they see students. The lar- enough difficulties on the Oppositional Defiant and
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
gest discrepancy was in Portugal, where CBCL/6–18 diffi- Conduct scales to be of concern, while Jack reported
culties scores were considerably higher than TRF scores. enough difficulties on the Depressive and Somatic scales
Other European countries manifested various patterns of to be of concern. Interventions to help Jack should there-
similarities and differences between the norm groups for fore focus not only on difficulties with attention but on
which ratings by parents, teachers, and students qualified. other difficulties as well.
For example, in Greece, Italy, and Lithuania, CBCL/6–18 The bars in Figure 2 show T scores that are based on
and TRF scores qualified for Group 2, whereas YSR scores norms for 14-year-old boys rated by parents (designated
qualified for Group 3. For Norway, CBCL and YSR scores as CBC1), teachers (designated as TRF2), and youths
qualified for Group 1, whereas TRF scores qualified for (designated as YSR3). The T scores for Jack’s mother’s
Group 2. ratings are based on Group 1 norms, because the CBCL/
Cultural variations related to schooling, parent-child rela- 6–18 normative sample in her home Society E met criteria
tionships, attitudes toward students’ difficulties, and will- for Group 1. The T scores for ratings by Jack and his teacher
ingness to report difficulties, plus differences in social are based on Group 2 norms, because the TRF and YSR
structures, political systems, economic conditions, religion, normative samples in Society F met criteria for Group 2.
and actual rates of students’ difficulties could potentially The school counselor also displayed Jack’s T scores in rela-
affect ratings of students’ difficulties. Considering the tion to YSR Group 1 norms (appropriate for Jack’s home
multitude of potentially relevant variables, interpretations society). By displaying a student’s scale scores in relation
of the precise reasons for societal differences in mean scale to two or even three sets of norms that might be relevant
scores would be speculative. Despite the impossibility of to that student and to the informants, users can see whether
pinpointing all reasons for differences in ratings of students’ different norms would yield different conclusions about
difficulties, population-based norms provide metrics for whether a student’s difficulties are in the normal, border-
evaluating the magnitude of difficulties scores, just as they line, or clinical range. In Jack’s case, use of the Group 1
do for variables such as height. YSR norms did not reveal any important differences from
what is shown for the Group 2 norms in Figure 2.
Case Illustration Note that users can select one or more sets of norms that
To illustrate applications of the multicultural norms, they deem relevant to ratings by a particular informant.
Figure 2 displays graphs of scores for DSM-oriented scales Even though Jack was well acculturated, the user initially
from CBCL/6–18, TRF, and YSR forms completed for selected Group 1 norms for ratings by Jack’s less-accultu-
14-year-old Jack (not his real name). Jack’s family had rated mother to provide a normative metric appropriate
emigrated from Society E to host Society F when Jack for ratings by parents from her home society.
was 4 years old. Jack attended Society F schools, was well As Figure 2 shows, the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity,
acculturated in Society F, and was fluent in the language Oppositional Defiant, and Conduct scales were in the
of Society F. Several of Jack’s earlier teachers had clinical range according to CBCL/6–18 ratings by Jack’s
mentioned his inattentiveness, but, when Jack was 14, his mother and TRF ratings by Jack’s teacher. However, all
mathematics teacher became so concerned about his three scales were in the normal range when scored from
inattentiveness that she consulted a school counselor. Jack’s YSR. These results indicate that similar difficulties
With the consent of Jack’s mother, the counselor asked were observed at home and school but that Jack denied
Jack’s teacher to fill out the TRF. Scores in the clinical range the difficulties or was unaware of them. On the other hand,
on the DSM-oriented Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity, the Depressive and Somatic (e.g., headaches without
Oppositional Defiant, and Conduct scales prompted the known medical cause) scales were in the clinical range
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties 137
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
Figure 2. Cross-informant comparisons of Jack’s scores on DSM-oriented scales in relation to CBCL norms for Society E, TRF norms for Society F,
and YSR norms that are the same for Societies E and F (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2015b; Reproduced by permission).
when scored from Jack’s YSR but in the normal range when levels of depressive and somatic difficulties, which his
scored from Jack’s mother’s and teacher’s ratings. This mother and teacher did not report.
indicates that Jack’s depressive and somatic difficulties
were not evident to his mother or teacher but should be
considered in efforts to help Jack. Baseline Assessments
Decisions about interventions depend on many factors that
differ from one society and school to another, as well as
Assessments to Guide Interventions depending on the student’s age, difficulties, strengths, recep-
tiveness to help, and parents’ inclinations. Whether interven-
Figure 2 illustrates how multi-informant, multicultural tions are feasible in school or whether outside mental health
assessments can reveal different aspects of students’ diffi- services are warranted, the TRF, CBCL/6–18, and YSR
culties. Although Jack’s teacher was initially concerned provide baseline assessments for determining whether help
about Jack’s inattentiveness, her TRF ratings and Jack’s is needed and, if so, what difficulties should be targeted.
mother’s CBCL/6–18 ratings revealed that – compared to To provide detailed documentation of a student’s function-
norms based on gender, age, informant, and multicultural ing in class and/or group activities, observations by a school
norm group – Jack manifested high levels of oppositional counselor, school psychologist, or paraprofessional can be
and conduct difficulties, as well as attentional difficulties. recorded and scored on the DOF, which was described
The consistencies between the CBCL/6–18 and TRF scores earlier. If individual ability and/or achievement tests are
indicate that Jack’s behavioral difficulties were not confined administered, the test administrator can complete the TOF
to school. Jack’s YSR ratings, by contrast, revealed high to document and score the student’s functioning in the test
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
138 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
situation. And if the SCICA is administered, it can document scores in order to determine how much improvement has
more subtle aspects of the student’s functioning, as well as occurred. The Progress & Outcomes App (P&O App;
evaluating the student’s amenability to counseling and Achenbach, 2017) displays bar graph comparisons of scale
talking therapies. scores obtained at different times, such as baseline, during
Because the DOF and TOF assess functioning during the course of interventions, and following interventions.
specific time samples, they can be considered assessments The P&O App uses standard errors of measurement to
of the student’s state during the time samples. The SCICA determine whether changes in scale scores exceed chance
assesses state aspects of a student’s functioning on the basis expectations. To make findings easy to understand without
of observations during the interview, plus trait aspects on the requiring statistical training, the P&O App displays text
basis of the student’s self-reports of functioning over longer statements regarding whether changes in scale scores
periods outside the interview. The TRF, CBCL/6–18, and exceed chance expectations. For users who are familiar
YSR measure traits over the periods on which ratings are with basic statistics and who wish to compare effects of dif-
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
based (2 months for the TRF; 6 months for the CBCL/6–18 ferent interventions, the P&O App can also provide statisti-
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing
T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties 139
The instruments completed by informants and by Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2015b). Multicultural guide for
observers provide data for determining whether students’ the ASEBA forms & profiles for ages 1½–59. Burlington, VT:
University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and
difficulties warrant interventions and for guiding interven- Families.
tions in school and in other settings, such as mental health American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statisti-
services. The instruments can be used to assess students cal manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC:
again after interventions are implemented in order to Author.
Bérubé, R. L., & Achenbach, T. M. (2017). Bibliography of published
evaluate changes in students’ functioning by comparing studies using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based
pre- versus post-intervention scores. During the course of Assessment (ASEBA). Burlington, VT: University of Vermont,
interventions, progress can be monitored by having teach- Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
ers, parents, and/or students complete the BPM, which Boomsma, D. I., van Beijsterveldt, T. C. E. M., & Hudziak, J. J.
(2005). Genetic and environmental influences on Anxious/
assesses students’ functioning over user-selected periods Depression during childhood: A study from the Netherlands
of days, weeks, or months. Twin Registry. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 4, 466–481.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
The evidence-based tools described in this article enable Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
users to take account of cross-informant and multicultural sciences (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Academic Press.
De Los Reyes, A. (2011). Introduction to the special section:
variations in assessment of students’ difficulties. The More than measurement error: Discovering meaning behind
assessment data provide a basis for deciding on interven- informant discrepancies in clinical assessments of children
tions, for guiding the interventions, and for comparison and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent
with subsequent assessments to evaluate changes in Psychology, 40, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2011.
533405
students’ functioning. De Los Reyes, A., Augenstein, T. M., Wang, M., Thomas, S. A.,
Drabick, D. A. G., Burgess, D. E., & Rabinowitz, J. (2015). The
validity of the multi-informant approach to assessing child and
Acknowledgment adolescent mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 141,
This work was supported by the nonprofit University of 858–900. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038498
Ivanova, M. Y., Achenbach, T. M., Rescorla, L. A., Bilenberg, N.,
Vermont Research Center for Children, Youth, and
Bjarnadottir, G., Denner, S., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2011). Syn-
Families, which publishes the Achenbach System of Empir- dromes of preschool psychopathology reported by teachers
ically Based Assessment and from which the author and caregivers in 14 societies using the Caregiver-Teacher
receives remuneration. Report Form (C-TRF). Journal of Early Childhood and Infant
Psychology, 7, 87–103.
Ivanova, M. Y., Achenbach, T. M., Rescorla, L. A., Harder, V. S.,
Ang, R. P., Bilenberg, N., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2010). Preschool
References psychopathology reported by parents in 23 societies. Testing
the seven-syndrome model of the Child Behavior Checklist for
Achenbach, T. M. (2009). The Achenbach System of Empirically Ages 1.5–5. Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Based Assessment (ASEBA): Development, findings, theory, and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49, 1215–1224. https://doi.org/10.1016/
applications. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research j.jaac.2010.08.019
Center for Children, Youth, and Families. Ivanova, M. Y., Achenbach, T. M., Rescorla, L. A., Turner, L. V.,
Achenbach, T. M. (2018). Manual for assessing progress and Ahmeti-Pronaj, A., Au, A., . . . Zasępa, E. (2015). Syndromes of
outcomes in problems and strengths using the ASEBA. Burling- self-reported psychopathology for ages 18–59 in 29 societies.
ton, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 37,
Youth, and Families. 171–183.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Ivanova, M. Y., Achenbach, T. M., Rescorla, L. A., Turner, L. V.,
Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implica- Árnado ttir, H. A., Au, A., . . . Zasępa, E. (2015). Syndromes of
tions of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. collateral-reported psychopathology for ages 18–59 in 18
Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/ societies. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychol-
0033-2909.101.2.213 ogy, 15, 18–28.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., Ivanova, M. Y., & Rescorla, McConaughy, S. H., & Achenbach, T. M. (2001). Manual for the
L. A. (2011). Manual for the ASEBA Brief Problem Monitor semistructured clinical interview for children and adolescents
(BPM). Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center (2nd ed.). Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research
for Children, Youth, and Families. Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA McConaughy, S. H., & Achenbach, T. M. (2004). Manual for
school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of the Test Observation Form for Ages 2–18. Burlington, VT:
Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families. University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2007). Multicultural supple- Families.
ment to the Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. McConaughy, S. H., & Achenbach, T. M. (2009). Manual for the
Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for ASEBA Direct Observation Form. Burlington, VT: University of
Children, Youth, and Families. Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2015a). Mental health Ormel, J., Oldewinkel, A. J., Sijtsema, J. J., Van Ourt, F., Raven, D.,
practitioners’ guide for the Achenbach System of Empirically Veenstra, R., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2012). The Tracking Adoles-
Based Assessment (ASEBA) (9th ed.). Burlington, VT: University cents' Individual Liver Survey (TRAILS). Journal of the American
of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families. Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 1020–1036.
Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140
140 T. M. Achenbach, Assessment of Students’ Difficulties
Reef, J., Diamantopoulou, S., van Meurs, I., Verhulst, F., & van der Rescorla, L. A., Bochicchio, L., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y.,
Ende, J. (2009). Child to adult continuities of psychopathology: Almqvist, F., Begovac, I., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2014).
A 24-year follow-up. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 120, Parent-teacher agreement on children’s problems in 21 soci-
230–238. eties. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 43,
Rescorla, L. A., Achenbach, T. M., Ginzburg, S., Ivanova, M. Y., 627–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.900719
Dumenci, L., Almqvist, F., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2007). Consistency Rescorla, L. A., Ginzburg, S., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y.,
of teacher-reported problems for students in 21 countries. Almqvist, F., Begovac, I., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2013). Cross-
School Psychology Review, 36, 91–110. informant agreement between parent-reported and adolescent
Rescorla, L. A., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., Bilenberg, N., self-reported problems in 25 societies. Journal of Clinical Child
Bjarnadottir, G., Denner, S., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2012). and Adolescent Psychology, 42, 262–273.
Behavioral/emotional problems of preschoolers: Caregiver/ Rescorla, L. A., Ivanova, M. Y., Achenbach, T. M., Begovac, I.,
teacher reports from 15 societies. Journal of Emotional and Chahed, M., Drugli, M. B., . . . Zhang, E. Y. (2012). International
Behavioral Disorders, 20, 68–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/ epidemiology of child and adolescent psychopathology: 2.
1063426611434158 Integration and applications of dimensional findings from 44
Rescorla, L. A., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., Dumenci, L., societies. Journal of the American Academy of Child and
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Almqvist, F., Bilenberg, N., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2007a). Epidemi- Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 1273–1283.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
ological comparisons of problems and positive qualities Tiemeier, H., Velders, F. P., Szekely, E., Roza, S. J., Dieleman, G.,
reported by adolescents in 24 countries. Journal of Consulting Jaddoe, V. W. V., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2012). The Generation R
and Clinical Psychology, 75, 351–358. https://doi.org/10.1037/ Study: A review of design, findings to date, and a study of the
0022-006X.75.2.351 5-HTTLPR by environmental interaction from fetal life onward.
Rescorla, L. A., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., Dumenci, L., Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Almqvist, F., Bilenberg, N., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2007b). Behav- Psychiatry, 51, 1119–1135.
ioral and emotional problems reported by parents of children
ages 6 to 16 in 31 societies. Journal of Emotional and
Received May 31, 2016
Behavioral Disorders, 15, 130–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/
Revision received August 29, 2016
10634266070150030101
Accepted October 8, 2016
Rescorla, L. A., Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., Harder, V. S.,
Published online November 29, 2017
Otten, L., Bilenberg, N., . . . Verhulst, F. C. (2011). International
comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in pre-
Thomas M. Achenbach
school children: Parents’ reports from 24 societies. Journal of
Department of Psychiatry
Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40, 456–467.
University of Vermont
https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2011.563472
1 South Prospect Street
Rescorla, L. A., Althoff, R. R., Achenbach, T. M., & Ivanova, M. Y.,
Burlington, VT 05401
the International ASEBA Consortium. (2017). Effects of society,
USA
culture, and individual differences on child mental health
thomas.achenbach@uvm.edu
problems. Manuscript submitted for publication.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2018), 34(2), 127–140 Ó 2017 Hogrefe Publishing