Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS) Assessment Tool: Early Childhood Indicators of Developmental Dysfunction

The TABS Assessment Tool is a norm-referenced tool designed to identify temperament and self-regulation problems that can indicate that a child is developing atypically or is at risk for atypical development. This 55-item checklist covers areas such as temperament, attention, attachment, social behavior, play, vocal and oral behavior, sense and movement, self-stimulation and self-injury, and neurobehavioral state. The parent-completed checklist takes approximately 15 minutes. The results give a detailed evaluation of atypical behavior in four categories-detached, hypersensitive-active, underreactive, and dysregulated.

The TABS Assessment Tool is sold as a package of 30 4-page assessment forms.

This tool is part of the TABS, a norm-referenced screening and assessment tool designed to identify temperament and self-regulation problems that may indicate a child's risk for developmental delay. For use with children ages 11 to 71 months, TABS can be used for screening, research, determining eligibility for special services, planning programs, and monitoring child progress and program effectiveness.

Learn more about the whole TABS system.

Stephen J. Bagnato, Ed.D., NCSP, is a developmental school psychologist and professor of pediatrics and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Education. Dr. Bagnato holds joint appointments in psychology in education/applied developmental psychology and clinical/developmental psychology at the university. He is Director of the Early Childhood Partnerships Program at the university and Core Interdisciplinary Leadership Team Faculty Member for The University, Community, Leaders, and Individuals with Disabilities (UCLID) Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

In 1986, Dr. Bagnato received the Braintree Hospital National Brain Injury Research Award for his research on the impact of interdisciplinary intervention for young children with acquired and congenital brain injuries. In 2001, he was recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award for the innovation and community impact of his consultation and research programs in early childhood partnerships, and in 2008, Dr. Bagnato received The Pennsylvania State University Excellence in Education Alumni Award for his career of innovative national and international service and research in education and psychology. Dr. Bagnato was recently appointed to Governor Rendell's Pennsylvania Early Learning Council, a task force to influence early childhood intervention policy and practices through systems integration efforts among education, public welfare, and health.

Dr. Bagnato specializes in authentic curriculum-based assessment and applied program evaluation research for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at developmental risk and with neurodevelopmental disabilities and neurobehavioral disorders and their families. He has published more than 120 applied research studies and professional articles in early childhood care and education, early intervention, early childhood special education, school psychology, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and developmental neuropsychology.

Dr. Bagnato is Director of Early Childhood Partnerships (ECP; http://www.earlychildhoodpartnerships.com), a community-based consultation, training, technical assistance, and research collaborative between Children's Hospital and The UCLID Center at the University of Pittsburgh with community partners. For more than 10 years, Dr. Bagnato and his ECP program have been funded by the Heinz Endowments to conduct longitudinal research on the impact and outcomes of high-quality early childhood intervention programs on nearly 15,000 high-risk children in 30 school districts and regions across Pennsylvania (e.g., Early Childhood Initiative, Pre-K Counts).

Dr. Bagnato is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Division 16 and he received the 1995 Best Research Article Award from Division 16 of APA (with John T. Neisworth) for his "national study on the social and treatment invalidity of intelligence testing in early childhood intervention." He is coauthor of the professional "best practice" policy statements and standards on early childhood assessment, evaluation, and early intervention for The National Association of School Psychologists and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.

John T. Neisworth, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Neisworth was Program Co-planner for the Pennsylvania Autism Conference & Institute, Academic Director of Penn State's Applied Behavior Analysis program, Consulting Co-director of the Penn State Autism Distance Program, Director of the Pennsylvania Early Intervention Institute, and Chair for Recommended Practices in Assessment for the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Dr. Neisworth has authored or coauthored numerous research articles and texts in special education, early intervention, and behavior analysis, including the HICOMP Preschool Curriculum (Bell & Howell Company, 1986), Modifying Retarded Behavior (Houghton Mifflin, 1973), and Assessment for Early Intervention: Best Practices for Professionals (with S.J. Bagnato; Guilford Press, 1991). He is Cofounding Editor of Topics in Early Childhood Special Education and an editorial board member of that journal as well as the Journal of Early Intervention, Child and Family Behavior Therapy, and Infants & Young Children. He received the 1995 Best Research Article Award from the American Psychological Association (Division 16) for his 2002 article (with Stephen Bagnato) on the misuse of intelligence testing in early childhood.

Dr. Neisworth received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Association for Applied Behavior Analysis. He provides consultation and workshops for state and private early intervention agencies and is President of Behavior Technics Associates, a group devoted to application of behavioral strategies to educational and therapeutic efforts.

Dr. Salvia is Professor of Special Education, a member of the School Psychology faculty, and former Head of the Department of Educational and School Psychology and Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Minnesota and the University of California (Los Angeles). He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of California (Santa Barbara), the University of Victoria (Canada), and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) as a Fulbright Fellow. He is or has been a member of the editorial board of the leading journals in special education and a consultant to numerous research centers and governmental agencies. He is author or co-author of more than 40 research articles appearing in refereed journals, 2 books, numerous book chapters, an adaptive behavior scale, and about 50 other miscellaneous publications (e.g., reports to sponsors, Appellate Opinions for due process hearings, instructional materials).

Dr. Hunt was Project Manager for the Child–Parent Attachment Project, University of Virginia Schools of Medicine and Curry School of Education. She provided consultation and training in behavior management and early intervention for various agencies through her private practice as a behavioral consultant to families and professionals. Her previous positions include a postdoctoral fellowship in psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She joined the faculty there and developed a community-based, family-centered clinic to assist local agencies in providing specialized early intervention services for children with severe behavior problems. As an adjunct faculty member at Loyola College of Maryland, she developed a master's degree program in Early Childhood Special Education. Dr. Hunt now resides in England, where she continues her consultation activities.