Measuring adaptive behaviour in children

Adaptive behaviour remains an emerging construct in terms of both
conceptualisation and measurement (Tasse et al., 2012). The DSM-5 and the ICD-10 highlight the requirement of a measurement of adaptive behaviour for diagnostic purposes; however, there is a lack of clarity regarding the definition. Jenkinson (1996) eloquently stated, “the only definition on which authors seem to agree is that adaptive behaviour is what adaptive behaviour scales measure” (p.99). Arguably, this is an issue for most psychological constructs - being
defined by how they are measured; however, this is a significant issue for adaptive behaviour, whereby, measurement is driving theory. The current paper aims to address this issue by revising the theoretical underpinnings of adaptive behaviour and developing a culturally and linguistically relevant assessment in the Australian context. There was a number of methodologies used to arrive at the final product, including a systematic review, a psycholexical approach to item generation, expert panel review and finally Rasch and factor analysis. The
results of the study include a pilot Australian adaptive behaviour scale, whereby future research is recommended for norming and validation.