Behavioral screening in well-child care: validation of the Toddler Behavior Screening Inventory.

OBJECTIVE To provide additional normative and validity data on the TBSI, especially to examine differences in clinical and nonclinical samples. METHODS The sample included 312 nonclinical and 50 clinical mothers of toddlers. Clinical participants consisted of mothers of toddlers who had been referred for outpatient psychological services. Mothers completed the TBSI, a 40-item behavioral screening measure for children 12 to 41 months old. The measure assesses frequency in which the behaviors occur and whether the mothers perceived the behaviors as problematic. In addition to the TBSI, mothers also completed several measures of maternal distress and social support. RESULTS The findings support the reliability and validity of the TBSL. In addition, the study found that TBSI scores effectively discriminated clinical from nonclinical participants. CONCLUSIONS The TBSI is a promising behavioral screening instrument that can be easily incorporated into a medical practice.