Concordance Between Mothers' and Teachers' Perceptions of Behavior Problems of Children with Developmental Delays

Abstract

The concordance between mothers' and teachers' perceptions of behavior problems and competencies of 74 children with nonspecific developmental delays was assessed using standardized and study-developed scales. Each child was rated by both his or her mother and teacher. The relationship between adults' perceptions and children's cognitive status was also assessed. Mean child chronological age was 131.6 months ( SD = 8.2 months); mean Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was 66.13 ( SD = 20.37). Correlations between mothers' and teachers' scores across problem dimensions averaged .43 (range .18–.60). Differences in ratings of boys and girls within rater sources were minimal, although teachers rated boys higher than girls in learning problems. Few correlations between children's cognitive status and adults' ratings of behavior problems and competencies reached statistical significance. Findings underscore the importance of taking child attributes, settings, and observer influences into account when assessing children with developmental delays.