STUDY ON THE USEFULNESS OF THE CHILD-BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST WITH 6-TO 8-YEAR OLDS ATTENDING SPECIAL SCHOOLS

66 children attending first grade at a special school for educationall y subnormal children were examined medically and psychologically. Clas sification was done according to ICD-10. In addition, the parents were asked to rate their children's behavior with the <<Child Behavior Che cklist>> by Achenbach and Edelbrock. The most common symptoms rated in this group of 6- to 8-year-old children were lack of concentration, s peech and language problems, hyperactivity, demand for attention and a rguing. The mean total score (cut-off score: 30) and the number of cru cial items (cut-off score: at least two crucial items) differed signif icantly between the children with and those without psychiatric disord ers. No significant correlation was found between the mean total score or the number of crucial items and the sex of the children or the oth er axes of the Multi-axial Classification of Child Psychiatric Disorde rs.