Assessing the Validity and Reliability of the Chinese Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Aged 1-6.
The Chinese VABS-III is a quick, reliable way to measure adaptive skills in toddlers and preschoolers with ASD or other delays.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lin and her team tested the Chinese Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (CVABS-III) on 1- to young learners. They gave the test to the kids with ASD, 80 with other delays, and 80 typically developing kids.
Each child also took the Gesell Developmental Scales so the researchers could compare scores. Parents answered the CVABS questions while clinicians scored the Gesell on the same day.
What they found
The CVABS-III scores lined up almost perfectly with the Gesell scores. Kids with ASD scored lower than kids with other delays, and both groups scored lower than typical kids.
The test-retest numbers were above 0.90 for every domain. That means if you give the test again next week, you will get nearly the same result.
How this fits with other research
Lovell et al. (2016) showed that an ASD label given at age 3 sticks a large share of the time into middle childhood. Lin’s tool now lets Chinese clinicians make that early label with more confidence.
Sasson et al. (2018) found that only one-third of German insurance ASD codes were still there five years later. Lin’s tighter measure could cut that false-positive rate by giving clearer data before the diagnosis is written.
Boorom et al. (2022) used a robot-like acoustic score to spot ASD toddlers. The CVABS-III adds a parent-friendly option: no microphones, just a survey that takes 20 minutes.
Why it matters
If you serve Mandarin-speaking families, you now have a validated adaptive-behavior tool for . Use it during intake to show parents exactly where their child stands against typical peers. The one-page profile also gives you baseline goals for communication, daily living, and social skills that link straight to your treatment plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS), a widely used assessment tool for assessing developmental profiles of children, has been adapted to various cultural contexts with proven efficacy. This study evaluated the applicability and efficacy of the Chinese Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (CVABS-III) in assessing children with different developmental profiles within the context of Chinese culture. The VABS items were meticulously translated and modified to reflect cultural relevancy. We assessed 2118 Chinese preschoolers aged 1-6 years, including those with typical development (TD; n = 943), and various clinical subgroups including autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 449), developmental delay (DD; n = 477), and speech and language developmental delay (SLDD; n = 249). Internal reliability, construct validity, and discriminant validity with the Gesell Developmental Schedules were assessed. The CVABS-III demonstrated excellent internal consistency and construct validity. It effectively distinguished between TD children and those with ASD, DD, or SLDD. It also showed progressively stronger correlations with the Gesell Developmental Schedules especially in children aged 3-6 years. These findings confirm that the CVABS-III retains the robust psychometric properties of its original VABS while being suitably adapted for the Chinese context. This adaptation enhances the scale's utility for early identification and intervention in developmental delays within diverse Chinese populations. Future research might explore further refinement to improve its applicability across all ages and developmental conditions.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2025 · doi:10.1002/aur.70045