Social-Emotional Competence and Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children With and Without Developmental Disabilities

We report on study investigating the validity of a behavioral rating scale for preschool children ("Verhaltensskalen fur das Ki ndergartenatter", VSK) in a group of children with developmental disabilities. The sample included 218 children with and without developmental disabilities. A total of 111 children attended a special preschool group.The questionnaire proved to be a reliable and valid rating scale for children with developmental disabilities. We use correlation analysis, analysis of covariance, and linear regression analysis to assess the validity of the VSK. The results concerning the effects of age, gender, and developmental status supported the validity of the instrument in a group of children with developmental disabilities. We found significant differences in the degree of behavioral abnormalities and social-emotional competence between children with and without developmental disabilities. Regression analysis showed different patterns of relationships between social-emotional competence and problem behaviors. Self-regulation competence was found to be a significant predictor of behavioral abnormalities in children with and without developmental disabilities.