THE CHILD-BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST 4-18 AND RELATED MATERIALS - RELIABILITYAND VALIDITY OF SYNDROMAL ASSESSMENT/

The advances in syndromal assessment described by McConaughy (this iss ue) are analyzed with respect to two related themes: (a) what can be s aid with confidence and (b) what can be said that might be helpful. Th ere are many uncertainties associated with the prototype-matching proc ess, including alternative methods for the representation of syndromes (e.g., multitrait scaling analysis) and problems with the integration of information from multiple sources (e.g., parent x teacher agreemen t). The ''empirical puzzles'' that result present many challenges for professional judgment and little reassurance regarding the reliability of the process. Beyond the measurement difficulties, errors that stem from the child-centered focus of syndromal assessment may be more sig nificant. Although the consideration of empirically-based syndromes ca n contribute to the assessment-intervention process, alternative strat egies for the assessment and conceptualization of problem situations m ay afford more direct links to the intervention-relevant issues.