The Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) Profile in Young Children on the Autism Spectrum: The Impact of Child and Family Factors.

Adams et al. (2019) asked parents of preschoolers with autism to fill out the Developmental Behaviour Checklist. The team then looked at which child and family factors predicted each DBC sub-scale.

They studied 4- to 5-year-olds. Child factors were autism severity, medication use, and developmental level. Family factors were parent stress and income.

Each DBC sub-scale had its own set of predictors. Autism severity explained disruptive behavior. Medication status explained self-absorbed behavior. Parent stress explained anxiety and communication problems.

The total DBC score masked these patterns. Only by splitting the checklist into sub-scales did the unique links appear.

Clarke et al. (2003) first showed the DBC can track real change in kids with intellectual disability. Dawn’s team now maps which variables shape each sub-scale in autism, extending that groundwork into a new population.

Cramm et al. (2009) found DBC sub-scales move together over 11 years in ID. Dawn finds they split apart when you add child and family predictors. The difference is cross-sectional versus longitudinal design; both can be true.

Maniezki et al. (2021) used the CBCL in toddlers and also saw parent social capital predicting fewer behavior problems. Dawn adds parent stress and medication as extra levers you can ask about during intake.

Stop reading the DBC total score alone. Look at the five sub-scales and ask the matching questions: Is the child on medication? How stressed are the parents? This quick scan tells you which domain to target first and which family supports to add.