The Achenbach Behavior Checklist, created by Thomas M. Achenbach and Craig Edelbrock, was created for use in children ages 4 to 18 to determine behavioral problems and "social competence." The test itself focuses on how children behave and how they interact with other children and adults. The checklist may be used by an interviewer or taken individually. It also includes a report from the parents about the child.
Scoring
The behavioral section of the checklist is done on a scale of one to three, from "not true" to "often true." The child, parent or teacher can assess the types of behavioral problems possible in a child from the responses to these questions. The other section of the checklist focuses on social competency.
Behavior
The behavioral portion of the checklist is designed to assess such aspects of a child's personality as anxiety and depression, attention difficulties, rule-breaking tendencies and interaction style, as well as whether the child has standard thought processes or defiance issues.
Social Competence
This section of the checklist looks at how the child deals with social situations. This includes participation in sports, groups or organizations, games, hobbies and other activities. It also focuses on how the child deals with and participates in chores or jobs, and how many and the quality of friendships.
