Identifying and Assessing Community-based Social Behavior of Adolescents and Y^ung Adults with EBD

I N A N EARLIER ARTICLE (BULLIS, Nishioka-Evans, Fredericks, &. Davis, 1993), the authors described development and preliminary psychometric properties of two measures: a knowledge test of social skills and a performance rating scale, designed specifically to appraise the job-related social skills of adolescents and young adults with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). These measures were developed by following the behavioral analytic model of test development (Goldfried & D'Zurilla, 1969). Overall, they presented acceptable psychometric properties and discriminated between persons with and without EBD. This article describes a second research effort, in which a similar approach was used to identify social interactions and behaviors relevant to adolescents and young adults in community-based living and social settings (i.e., excluding the work place) and then to develop measures of those specific social skills (Bullis, 1989; Bullis, Bull, Johnson, <SL Johnson, 1994). These measures provide data on social skills knowledge, performance, and antisocial behaviors exhibited by adolescents and young adults (ages 15 to 25) with EBD in community living and social situations with peers and adults. As a consequence of the "Transition Initiative" (Will, 1984), attention has been directed to adolescents with disabilities Adolescents and young adults (ages 15 to 25) with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience