Social-emotional behavior of preschool-age children with and without developmental delays.
The PKBS clearly flags preschoolers with developmental delays who have four to five times more social skill and behavior problems than peers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers compared preschoolers with developmental delays to same-age peers without delays.
They used the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) to rate social skills and problem behaviors.
Teachers and parents filled out the scale for each child.
What they found
Children with delays showed four to five times more social skill deficits.
They also had far more withdrawn and disruptive behaviors.
The biggest gaps were in social interaction and independence skills.
How this fits with other research
Major et al. (2017) later repeated the design with Portuguese-speaking preschoolers with autism and saw the same large social-skills gap, showing the PKBS works across languages.
Wang et al. (2011) found the PKBS is reliable for kids with autism, but warned it may miss small improvements during treatment — a useful caution.
Tal-Saban et al. (2021) extended the finding: when developmental delay is paired with motor coordination disorder, social skills drop even lower, so watch for clumsy movement as a red flag.
Why it matters
The PKBS gives you a quick way to spot preschoolers who need social skills help right now.
Use it at intake to decide who gets peer-play goals, social narratives, or joint-attention drills first.
If scores are very low, also screen for motor issues — adding OT may boost social gains later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Differences in parent and teacher ratings of social-emotional behavior among young children with developmental delays and those without significant developmental problems were examined. Participants included 198 preschool-age children identified as having a developmental delay (DD group) and 198 preschool-age children without significant developmental problems (Comparison group) who were matched to the DD group by age and gender, using a randomized block procedure. Parent and teacher perceptions of social-emotional behavior of the participants were assessed using the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale (PKBS), a social skills and problem behavior rating scale for the use with young children. PKBS scores were found to classify the participants into their respective groups with a substantial degree of accuracy. Statistically significant differences in social skills and problem behavior scores between the two groups were found, with the DD participants evidencing greater social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than the Comparison group. Individuals in the DD group were found to be four to five times more likely to have significant social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than individuals in the Comparison group. The critical social-emotional behaviors separating the two groups appeared to be social interaction and independence skills, and socially withdrawn and isolated behavior patterns. New validity evidence for the PKBS is discussed, as are future needs pertaining to research and clinical practice in the area of social-emotional behavior of young children with developmental delays.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1997 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(97)00018-8