Illustrating the Flexibility of ABAS-3 to Diagnose Individuals with Adaptive Skills Limitations by Patti Harrison, PhD and Thomas Oakland, PhD provides a complete assessment of adaptive skills across the lifespan from birth to 89 years. Please share this with the people at your skill who are responsible for doing this type of assessment. Parents who homeschool thier children should also take a look at this important product.

Introduction

• By nature, humans have skills that enable them to adapt to their environment. However, because of learning disabilities, developmental delays, or other environmental factors, some people struggle to develop their adaptive skills and need intervention.
• The ABAS-3, or the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, enables professionals to identify these limitations and create intervention programs that assist children and adults with developing the adaptive skills necessary to function in their everyday environments.
• The ABAS-3 can help increase an individual’s independence and improve social behaviors. Assessing a person’s ability to function independently enhances their quality of life and enables them to continue into adulthood with the skills they need to perform at work, school, and home.

Diagnosing Adaptive Skills Limitations

• Clinicians, school psychologists, and other mental health professionals use the ABAS-3 to diagnose many different disorders. Included are cerebral palsy, emotional disturbance, autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities.
• The ABAS-3 uses tests to measure IQ, visual-spatial processing, knowledge, working memory, and fluid reasoning. From these scores, professionals can measure an individual’s achievement in specific areas and establish helpful interventions.
• The ABAS-3 can identify strengths and weaknesses, document progress over time, determine eligibility for services like disability benefits, or evaluate the person’s ability to live and work independently. From this information, a clinician can make a diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.

The Flexibility of ABAS-3 to Diagnose

• The ABAS-3 has the ability to help evaluate people with a wide range of disorders, and because it’s so versatile, it has a lot of flexibility to identify adaptive skills limitations. For instance, school psychologists can use the ABAS-3 to recognize and assess significant developmental delays in children who are not meeting developmental milestones. This enables psychologists to identify limitations and recommend treatment plans or interventions.
• The ABAS-3 can also be used as an adaptive behavior assessment to plan and coordinate homeschool programs for children with special needs. With resources like the ABAS-3 at their disposal, parents who homeschool special needs children, along with a skilled professional, can now develop and follow programs benefiting their children’s development.

Other instances of the flexibility of the ABAS-3 and benefactors of intervention treatment plans include:

• Dealing with emotional disturbances
• Social and self-direction problems at home
• Children with visual impairment who need home interventions
• Problems with daily behaviors and practical skills
• Monitoring the transition from school to work environments
• Comprehensive assessments for people with ADHD who have diminished self-direction and self-care
• Rehabilitation after traumatic injuries
• Evaluating Alzheimer’s patients and improving functional behaviors
• Assessing the effects of mental health on daily functioning
• Monitoring change in daily routines due to medication
• The list goes on. The flexibility of the ABAS-3 to help diagnose individuals with adaptive skills limitations is proven in how school psychologists, clinicians, and other mental health professionals use the tests to evaluate their subjects.

WPS Publishing

• You can find more about the (ABAS-3) Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition at WPS Publish.WPSPublish.Com, which provides materials and resources to help professionals unlock the potential of their patients.

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