DISCREPANCIES IN PARENT AND TEACHER RATINGS OF ADAPTIVE-BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

Parent and teacher ratings of adaptive skills of 59 children with mult iple disabilities (mean age 6 years) in a rehabilitation day treatment setting were compared. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Classroo m and Survey Editions were administered to each child's teacher and mo ther or other primary caretaker, respectively. Correlational analyses indicated a robust relation between Vineland forms; however, mean scor e comparisons indicated that teachers systematically rated the childre n as more skilled in both the global and the specific domains of adapt ive behavior than did caretakers. Sources of interrater disagreement a nd implications for assessment of children with multiple disabilities were discussed.