Assessment & Research

Using a Delphi Process to Update the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form.

Shively et al. (2022) · American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities

★ The Verdict

Expert consensus has refreshed the NCBRF to match DSM-5, paving the way for a sharper behavior screen in kids with IDD.

✓ Read this if BCBAs who do intake assessments in schools or clinics serving children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

✗ Skip if Practitioners looking for a fully validated scale ready for high-stakes decisions.

01Research in Context

What this study did

A team ran three rounds of Delphi surveys. They asked 12 experts to rate every item on the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form.

The goal was to line up the checklist with DSM-5 categories. Experts kept, dropped, or rewrote items until 80 % agreed.

What they found

Sipes et al. (2011) already showed the old NCBRF worked, but its Problem Behavior subscales were weak. The 2022 Delphi rewrite targets exactly those weak spots.

LeSage et al. (1996) built the first NCBRF long before DSM-5 existed. The new item pool swaps outdated language for current terms.

Adriaanse et al. (2026) took the same Delphi method and made a self-report version for teens. Together the studies form a tidy upgrade path: parent form first, teen form next.

Why it matters

If you screen kids with ID or developmental delay, keep an eye out for the validated NCBRF-2. The cleaner items should catch DSM-5 conditions faster and cut down on vague "problem behavior” labels. Until the validation drops, you can still pilot the new items to see if parents find them clearer.

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→ Action — try this Monday

Download the draft item list and try the new mood-dysregulation items during your next parent interview—note any clearer examples you get.

02At a glance

Intervention

not applicable

Design

methodology paper

Population

intellectual disability, developmental delay

Finding

not reported

03Original abstract

The Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form (NCBRF) was developed to specifically screen psychopathology and problem behavior in children and adolescents with IDD. This study aimed to update the NCBRF to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) and screen for the most prevalent psychopathologies that affect children and adolescents with IDD. The authors re-aligned the existing items to fit within a DSM-5 framework, and then used the Delphi method with a panel of experts in IDD to evaluate the NCBRF items. The revision process included deleting and revising existing items and formulating new items. We obtained a final item pool after three iterations. The Delphi process and resulting item pool are described in this article.

American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-127.6.455