Behavioral screening in well-child care: Validation of the toddler behavior screening inventory

Objective: To provide additional normative and validity data on the TBSI, e specially to examine differences in clinical and nonclinical samples. Methods: The sample included 312 nonclinical and 50 clinical mothers of tod dlers. Clinical participants consisted of mothers of toddlers who had been referred for outpatient psychological services. Mothers completed the TBSI, a 40-item behavioral screening measure for children 12 to 41 months old. T he measure assesses frequency in which the behaviors occur and whether the mothers perceived the behaviors as problematic. In addition to the TBSI, mo thers also completed several measures of maternal distress and social suppo rt. Results: The findings support the reliability and validity of the TBSL In a ddition, the study found that TBSI scores effectively discriminated clinica l from nonclinical participants. Conclusions: The TBSI is a promising behavioral screening instrument that c an be easily incorporated into a medical practice.