The Adaptive Behavior Rating System (ABAS-2) is a behavior rating scale that provides a comprehensive assessment of adaptive skills throughout life (Harrison & Oakland, 2000) . Adaptive skills refer to behavior that allows a person to get along in their environment with maximum success and minimum conflict with others; this may also be referred to as “life skills” (South County Child and Family Consultants, 2018). Measuring adaptive behaviors has been important for many years for school psychologists and a variety of mental health professionals interested in assessing, diagnosing, and treating clients (Oakland & Daley, 2013). The ABAS-2 is typically completed by a parent, caregiver, and/or teacher (Western Psychological Services, 2018). In the presentation previously given in class, the ABAS-2 was highlighted as an assessment that can be useful for the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. However, this assessment can also evaluate individuals with learning disabilities, motor disorders, speech and language disorders, hearing disorders, and neuropsychological disorders (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). The ABAS-2 was published by Harcourt Assessment, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas and was developed by Patti Harrison, PhD, and Thomas Oakland, PhD (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). The second addition was published in 2000 (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. The appropriate age for this assessment is between birth and age 89 (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). The average administration time is approximately 15-20 minutes for each component and is translated into 11 languages ​​(Harrison & Oakland, 2000). This assessment requires the administrator to obtain Level C qualifications (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). Obtaining C-level qualifications means the administrator must have previously earned a master's degree in psychology, school counseling, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, education, special education, or a related field (Western psychological services). This level of qualification also requires that those administering the assessment receive specific training in how to provide assessment instruction and how to interpret the results (Western Psychological Services, 2018). The ABAS-2 measures adaptive, or daily living, skills throughout life and can help complete numerous tasks such as: assessing adaptive skills, classifying disabilities and disorders, showing strengths and weaknesses, monitoring progress in time, develop treatment plans and training goals, determine eligibility for services, and evaluate ability to live or work independently (Western Psychological Services, 2018). For those following the clinical mental health counseling route, some relevant places where this assessment can be used are private practices, counseling centers, hospitals, and schools. Since anyone between the ages of 0 and 89 is eligible to take this assessment, there are five different forms relevant to each age group (Harrison and Oakland). These modules and their age groups are managed as the Parent/Primary Caregiver module (ages 0-5), Teacher/Nursery Module (ages 2-5), Parent Module (ages 5-11), Teacher Module (ages 5-5 ) 21) and Adult form (ages 16-89) (Western Psychological Services, 2018). The adult form is the only self-assessment option available for ABAS-2; all other forms are completed by a teacher, caregiver, or parent (Harrison & Oakland,2000). Each of these modules can be used together to provide an overall composite score for the client (called the General Adaptive Composite), but the client also has the option of completing one of the modules on its own (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). This assessment generates norm-referenced standard scores for 10 skill areas within 3 overarching domains (WesternPsychological Services, 2018). The domains of this assessment cover conceptual, social, and practical areas of the client's life (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). The 10 skill areas in the ABAS-2 include more specific adaptive skill areas from each of these domains. These skill areas cover communication, community use, functional learning, home/school life, leisure, health and safety, self-care, self-direction, social and physical activities/ work (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). On a 4-point response scale, raters indicate how often the individual performs each activity (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). Each of these forms can be assessed in 5-10 minutes on average (Harrison & Oakland, 2000). There is also the option to grade ABAS-2 modules on a computer, which provides specific steps to monitor progress and develop plans for the future (Western Psychological Services, 2018). A package of 25 modules for ABAS-2 costs approximately $92 (Western Psychological Services, 2018). There are some types of validity and reliability present in the ABAS-2. Some apparent forms of validity in this assessment are construct, convergent, and concurrent validity (Floyd et. al, 2015). Concurrent validity is the degree to which a test measures what it says it measures (Johnson, 2015). For example, if the ABAS-2 claims to measure adaptive behaviors, then it will measure those behaviors. Convergent validity is the degree to which two measures that should be related are correlated (Johnson, 2015). For the ABAS-2 this type of validity is present among the different forms that can be completed for each participant. For example, the teacher module and the parent module will be related as they should be. Finally, concurrent validity is the extent to which test results correspond to previously established measures of the same construct (Johnson, 2015). This means that the ABAS-2 corresponds well to other assessments that also measure adaptive behaviors. The coefficient of concurrent validity in the ABAS-2 is around 0.8 (Rust & Wallace, 2004). Regarding reliability in the ABAS, there is evidence of internal consistency, test-retest, interrater, and cross-consistency (Floyd et. al, 2015). The coefficient for each of these is also around 0.8 (Rust & Wallace, 2004). One particularly excellent form of reliability in the ABAS-2 is internal consistency reliability for domain scores (Floyd et. al, 2015). This coefficient is between 0.8 and 0.9 (Rust & Wallace, 2004). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As for my overall critique, I believe I would use and/or recommend the ABAS-2 in the future if needed in my practice. The assessment fulfills its purpose and has high levels of validity and reliability. The ABAS-2 also targets a wide range of people and is relevant to different populations. No two clients are the same, so it's helpful that this assessment can be applicable to anyone aged 0 to 89, those who differ in gender, and a variety of races. The ABAS-2 is translated into 11 languages, making it more accessible to non-English speakers. Something I particularly like about this particular assessment is that the results have the ability to provide the client with specific steps to monitor.