Mother and teacher ratings of maladaptive behaviour in children with special needs

Parents and teachers of 109 children selected from the Special Needs Register and living in a multiethnic urban health district participated in the study. Their perceptions of children's behaviour at home and at school were measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist(ABC). About two-thirds of the subjects presented with at least one type of maladaptive behaviour of at least moderate severity within their family, and 50 per cent had similar difficulties at school. The dimensions of hyperactivity and irritability were the main causes for concern by both sources. Contrary to previous studies, high rates of parent-teacher agreement were found. This significant association was not affected by factors such as age, ethnicity or type of school. The implications for the provision of services for children in special education are discussed.