Standardized Behavior Checklists

Synonyms

Rating scale; Report form

Definition

A list of behaviors used to characterize an individual. Checklists can be self-rated, but in the ASD field they are most often completed by informants who know the person well, such as parents, teachers, workshop supervisors, or support staff. Both the items and the response categories are standardized, meaning that all users respond to the same questions on the same scale. Often this response scale will be Likert-style, which means that responses are ordered along some dimension (e.g., strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree). Responses are then scored in a standard manner, meaning that it is possible to compare the results across individuals or groups of individuals. Scores may be compared to reference samples, called normative data, to determine whether the individual’s behavior is similar to his or her peers (“peers” may be defined by any number of characteristics, but usually refers to chronological age and,...