The AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale has been used with increasing frequency to determine classroom placement of mentally retarded children, especially those in institutional settings. Since relatively little research has focused on the scale's concurrent validity, ratings on ABS factors were obtained for 47 children and adolescents in eight TMR classrooms in two different institutions. These were compared with data obtained in direct classroom observations sampled over a four-day period. Findings indicated significant relationships between subjects’ adaptive behavior in a residential environment and actual observed behavior in classroom settings.
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