PARENT-RATING AND SELF-RATING OF ANXIETY IN CHILDREN WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION - AGREEMENT LEVELS AND TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY

This study examined fears in children with and without developmental d isabilities. Children assigned to classes designated as developmentall y handicapped (D), integrated (or mainstreamed) (I), and regular (R) w ere assessed. In all, 82 children were tested and retested over a 2-we ek interval. Self ratings and parent ratings were obtained. Three inst ruments were used to assess specific fears, social anxiety, social com petence, and behavior problems: the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised, the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, and the Child Behavi or Rating Form. Correlations between parent and child ratings were fai r to good. Child-parent agreement was nonsignificantly higher for chil dren without disabilities and for children with mild handicaps integra ted into regular education programs than for children in classes desig nated as Developmentally Handicapped. Children's rest-retest reliabili ties were generally higher than those of parents. Children without dis abilities showed significantly higher consistency over time than child ren with disabilities.