Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Open-Source Challenging Behavior Scale (OS-CBS).

The team built a free 20-item checklist called the OS-CBS. It tracks how often kids with developmental delay hit, scream, or bolt.

Parents answer on their phone. No license fees. No paper forms.

The researchers also tested a trick: they paid some families a small amount each time they filled the scale again. They wanted to see if money would keep diverse families in the study longer.

The scale worked. Factor analysis showed clear clusters for aggression, self-injury, and running away.

The surprise came from the money group. Families from racial minority backgrounds stayed in the study longer when they received the modest payments.

Shaffer et al. (2025) found that Down-syndrome registries and clinics are the best way to recruit survey families. W et al. add a second layer: once families sign up, small targeted payments can keep them coming back.

Cameron et al. (1996) used the same factor-analytic method to build the DBC thirty years ago. The OS-CBS now gives clinicians a zero-cost update that works on any phone.

Amore et al. (2011) showed that unmet service needs drive caregiver stress. By staying in touch through the OS-CBS, teams can spot problem spikes early and connect families before stress boils over.

You get a free, research-grade tool that parents can finish in two minutes. Pair it with a small gift card each visit and you will keep a richer, more diverse sample in your outcome studies. Monday fix: add the OS-CBS link to your intake packet and budget a five-dollar e-gift for every follow-up.