Assessment of change with the Developmental Behaviour Checklist.

Clarke et al. (2003) asked a simple question. Does the Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) really catch change that clinicians see?

They compared DBC score shifts with expert ratings of real change in youth with intellectual disability.

High match would mean you can trust the checklist, not just the doctor’s gut.

The study found strong links between DBC score changes and clinician ratings.

In plain words, when the checklist score moved, the experts saw the same change.

This gives you confidence that a dropping DBC total means true behavioral progress.

Cramm et al. (2009) extends this work. Over eleven years, disruptive, self-absorbed, and communication behaviors on the DBC rose and fell together. If you cut one, you likely cut the others.

Adams et al. (2019) also extends the story to autism. In preschoolers, child autism severity, medication use, and parent stress each shape different DBC subscales. Look past the total score to see the full picture.

Kitzerow et al. (2016) and Grzadzinski et al. (2016) show a similar win for the BOSCC, a video-based tool for autism social change. Both papers validate short measures that catch real change, giving you options beyond the DBC when social communication is the target.

You now have proof that a change in DBC scores is not statistical noise; it mirrors what clinicians see. Use the checklist to track progress in kids with ID, but remember Cramm et al. (2009): tackle one problem behavior and you may see drops in linked areas. If you also serve preschoolers with autism, borrow from Adams et al. (2019) and inspect each DBC subscale, not just the total. Finally, when social skills are the goal, pair the DBC with the BOSCC for a fuller view.