Psychometric and clinical assessment of psychopathology in developmentally disabled children

The behavioural and emotional problems of children with intellectual handicaps can be described using current classification systems such as DSM-III-R. Problems in inter-rater agreement with this system, when applied to severly intellectually handicapped people, emerged from a recent clinical psychiatric study. An alternative approach to assessment, using the taxonometric method, required the development of a new assessment instrument. Current status of the Developmentally Delayed Children’s Behaviour Checklist is described.