Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents-Home (ASCA-H)

1. Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents-Home (ASCA-H) • Contains 202 behavioral descriptions appropriate for home situations. Each behavioral description is presented with reference to 34 specific social, recreational, or daily living situations in which a child’s adjustment to authority, agemates, smaller/weaker children, and various tasks may be observed.

2. ASCA-H Contexts

3. Frequently Endorsed ASCA-H Items

4. Least Frequently Endorsed ASCA-H Items

5. ASCA-H ADH Factor Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Syndrome • 29 salient items that reflect attention-seeking, impulsivity, and restlessness. • Similar to ADH factor of ASCA • 14% exhibited 0-1 ADH behaviors • Boys and girls not significantly different • African ethnic background higher than East Indian background (but only 2.6% of variance due to ethnicity) • Reliability (internal consistency) of .81

6. ADH Items

7. ASCA-H CP Factor Conduct Problem Syndrome • 21 salient items depict aggressive and confrontative behavior • Similar to CP factor of ASCA • Shares 12% variance with ADH factor • 73% had no CP items endorsed • No significant difference for gender or ethnic • Reliability (internal consistency) of .76. However, .825 for boys and .580 for girls.

8. CP Items

9. ASCA UN Factor • Underactivity syndrome • 25 items that describe shy, withdrawn, timid, fearful, and apathetic behavior • Similar to UN factor of ASCA • 32% had one or fewer UN item endorsed • No major differences among gender or ethnic background • Shares 6% variance with CP factor and 8% variance with ADH factor • Reliability (internal consistency) of .71

10. UN Items

11. ASCA-H Administration • Completed by parent or guardian who is thoroughly familiar with the day-to-day behavior of the child • Forms for males and females • Completed in 15-20 minute session • May be helpful to let parent examine ASCA-H form several days before rating

12. ASCA-H Scoring • Use ASCA-H Scoring Template • Place transparent Scoring Template over parent report form • When valid ASCA-H item is marked, fill in corresponding box on ASCA-H Score Summary Sheet • Sum raw scores for all three syndromes • Convert raw scores to percentiles

13. ASCA-H Norms

14. ASCA-H Interpretation • Guided by overall elevation of student scores on syndromes • Scores < 85 percentile -- adjusted • Scores of 85-94 percentile -- at risk • Scores ≥ 95 percentile -- maladjusted • Nature of items endorsed and syndrome • Individual items explored to better understand student’s situation • Some items are diagnostic alone • Positive endorsements should also be reviewed • Interpret cautiously and in the context of other information about the child

15. ASCA-H Limitations • Not intended as a symptom checklist • Does not list all possible types of maladaptive behavior • Certain rare forms of behavior pathology require no confirmation across contexts • Not a measure of depression or anxiety • Reliability of CP for girls is low. • Only deals with problems that can be detected and reported by parents

16. Sample ASCA CaseJoe • Joe - male • Age - 7 • Grade - Infant 2

17. Common Functions of Behavior • Contingent social positive reinforcement • Teacher (other adults) • Peers • Contingent tangible positive reinforcement • Social negative reinforcement • Contingent sensory or automatic reinforcement

19. Resources