by Stephen J. Bagnato, Ed.D., N.C.S.P., John T. Neisworth, Ph.D., John J. Salvia, D.Ed., & Frances M. Hunt, Ph.D.

Copyright © 1999 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This Q & A may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

What is TABS?

TABS is a multi-component screening and assessment system — based on direct observation or report — for early detection of emerging problems in temperament and self-regulatory behavior in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The TABS system consists of the

• TABS Screener — a single sheet of 15 "yes" or "no" questions
• TABS Assessment Tool — a "yes" / "no" / "need help" checklist containing 55 questions covering 4 important categories — detached, hyper-sensitive/active, underreactive, and dysregulated
• TABS Manual — a user's guide with administrative and scoring instructions, norms, technical data, and behavioral strategies

What age range does TABS cover?

TABS is for infants and preschoolers from 11 to 71 months of age. TABS "marker" items are not age-dependent.

Who completes TABS?

Parents and/or caregivers who know the child well answer the questions.

How long does TABS take to complete?

It takes just 5 minutes to complete the Screener and 15 minutes to complete the Assessment Tool. The entire process of assessment, scoring and interpretation can be completed within 30 minutes. Professionals who understand normative interpretation should complete the TABS evaluation.

How easy are the Screener and Assessment Tool to complete?

Very easy — no special training is required! Both the Screener and Assessment Tool are written at a third-grade reading level and feature user-friendly, checklist formats.

What behavioral areas are surveyed?

Temperament, attention and activity, attachment and social behavior, neurobehavioral state, sleeping, play, vocal and oral behavior, senses and movement, and self-stimulatory behavior.

What can TABS be used for?

Child Find programs, screening, eligibility determination, individualized program planning and intervention (IFSP, IEP, etc.), child progress monitoring, program impact and outcome evaluation, and applied research.

How can TABS determine eligibility?

TABS was designed specifically to quantify a child's eligibility for early intervention and wraparound mental health behavioral support plans by identifying the behaviors that other screening tools may miss. TABS is sensitive to children without delays who do evidence significant early problems in temperament and self-regulatory behavior, which may predict later developmental problems. TABS makes determining eligibility easy, since the scores coincide with state eligibility criteria for early intervention services and with appropriate mental health criteria for DSM-IV diagnoses.

How can TABS help me plan goals and behavioral support services in the IFSPs, IEPs, or wrap-around mental health behavioral support plans?

First, the "need help" response option on the Assessment Tool enables parent-prioritized goals to be identified — key components of the above plans. Second, the TABS Manual provides professionals with research-based intervention strategies for each behavior addressed on the Assessment Tool.

What kinds of scores does TABS yield?

TABS yields

• the TABS Temperament and Regulatory Index (TRI) with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15
• scores in 4 statistically-derived factors —detached, hyper-sensitive/active, underreactive, and dysregulated— with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10
• normative means, standard deviations, and cut-off scores for both typical and atypical samples (provided in the TABS Manual)
• normative comparisons through standard scores and percentiles

Is TABS a norm-referenced scale?

Yes. TABS was standardized and normed in 33 states on nearly 1000 children — including children with typical and atypical development — from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The norming and field validation research encompassed various diagnostic disability groups, including autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, general developmental delays, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, and early drug and alcohol exposure.

How does TABS compare to the Diagnostic Classification System - DC:0 -3?

DC:0 - 3 regulatory disorder types were derived strictly through professional consensus. TABS empirically confirms and refines these four regulatory disorder types.

How is TABS reliable and valid?

TABS has

• a high sensitivity for both at-risk status and atypical classifications
• strong interrater and rating-rerating reliability indices of .81-.94
• internal consistency indices of .88-.95
• factor analyses with 2 strong stand-alone factors (detached, hyper-sensitive/active) and two weaker factors (underreactive, dysregulated)
• factor loadings of .46-.69
• high treatment and social validity

How accurate is the Screener?

The Screener has superior sensitivity and specificity. In field tests false negatives were 2.2% and false positives were 1.4%.

Are natural environments emphasized in TABS?

Yes, because TABS focuses exclusively on real problems in everyday home and early care and education settings and early intervention programs. TABS provides convergent evidence of child behavior across situations, people, and times of day.

Can TABS be used for program evaluation?

Yes. TABS provides an accurate means of evaluating treatment measures and social validity and offers specific benchmarks for monitoring the impact and success of a program's instructional and therapeutic strategies on child progress.

What are some other unique features of TABS?

Professional development on this title is available through Brookes On Location!