Behavior Assessment: Universal Screening
“How do I find out who needs social/emotional/behavioral help?”
The following universal screening instruments are examples of various research-based screeners:
Behavioral
Screener
Systematic
Screener for
Behavior
Disorders
(SSBD)
Description
Measures
Cost
Ease of Use
Grade(s): 1-6
Use: Comprehensive
behavior screening tool
– Validated by the
Program Effectiveness
Panel of the U.S.
Department of
Education
– Six research studies
confirm the SSBD’s
ability to
systematically screen
and identify students
at-risk of developing
behavior problems
– Universal screening
with the SSBD is less
costly and timeconsuming than
traditional referral
system (Walker &
Severson, 1994)
– Teachers complete
Critical Events Index
checklist for top three
internalizers and
externalizers
– Internalizers with four
or more and
externalizers with five
or more critical
events immediately
pass gate two and are
eligible for simple a
secondary
Externalizing
&
Internalizing
$131.49
(includes
reproducible
screening
forms)
Quick
45 minutes to 1
hour per
classroom
intervention (i.e.,
CICO)
Behavioral and
emotional
Screening
System (BASC2/BESS)
Strengths and
Difficulties
Questionnaire
(SDQ)
SSBD: Walker & Severson,
1994
Grade(s)- Pre-K -12
Use: School wide (Universal)
screening tool
BASC-2/BESS: Kamphaus &
Reynolds, 2007
 Developed as a
school-wide
(Universal) screening
tool for children in
grades Pre-K to 12
 Similar to
annual
vision/hearing
screenings
 Identifies behavioral
and emotional
strengths and
weaknesses
 Teachers complete
scantron forms
(‘bubble sheets’) for
each student in their
class
 Or, for top three
internalizers and
externalizers if using a
multi-gate approach
Age(s): 3-17
Use: screening, clinical
assessment, progress
monitoring, research tool
•
•
Technically sound:
Large, representative
normative group
Items skewed toward
externalizing
behaviors
(SDQ; Goodman, 2001)
http://www.sdqinfo.org
Externalizing
behaviors
(e.g., acting
out)
Internalizing
behaviors
(e.g.,
withdrawn)
Adaptive
skills (e.g.,
social and
self-care
skills)
Requires
scantron
machine
Requires basic
understanding
of T-scores
$26.25 for 25
hand-scored
protocols
Online access
via AIMSweb
Takes
approximately
five minutes, or
less per
student to
complete
ratings
Subscription
fees apply
Software: $620
Externalizing
&
Internalizing
Behaviors
FREE
Pencil/paper
administration
or online
version
Perceived
length of
administration
time viewed as
a con
Student Risk
Screening Scale
(SRSS)
Social Skills
Improvement
System (SSIS)
Social,
Academic, and
Emotional
Behavior Risk
Screener
(SAEBRS)
Grade(s): K-12
SRSS: Drummond, 1993
• Easy to understand
and interpret score
results
• Technically-adequate
• Not as accurate as the
SSBD regarding
identification of
internalizers
Externalizing
&
Internalizing
Behaviors
Age(s): 3-18
Use: class-wide screener
SSIS: Gresham & Elliott, 2008
(originally the SRSS)
• Computer and webbased (AIMSweb)
administration and
scoring available
Problem
behaviors,
social and
academic
competence
Use(s): universal screener for
overall general behaviors
Grade(s): K-12
Overall
general
behavior(s)
FREE
Less than 5
minutes per
student; 15
minutes for
entire class
Easy to
understand
and interrupt
scores
Technical
manual:
$105.60
Rating Forms:
$43.75/pkg of
25
Scoring
Software: $640
FREE
Computer and
web-based
(AIMSweb)
administration
and scoring
available
Time
consuming; 1025 minutes per
student
Easy to use