PURPOSE AND DEVELOPMENT The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales™ (Conners CBRS ®) was created in response to the growing demand for a wide-ranging assessment which would identify a multitude of disorders and concerns in youth. It helps assess a broad spectrum of behavioral, emotional, social, and academic issues that can cause impairment in a youth’s functioning.
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Quick Reference Age Parent and Teacher: 6–18 Self-Report: 8–18 Number of Items Conners CBRS–Parent: 203 Conners CBRS–Teacher: 204 Conners CBRS–Self-Report: 179 Conners CI–Parent: 24 Conners CI–Teacher: 24 Conners CI–Self-Report: 24 Administration Type Parent-completed Teacher-completed Youth-completed Administration Time Conners CBRS: 25 minutes Conners CI: less than 5 minutes Translations Spanish Qualification Level B-level Formats Online (administration and scoring) Software (scoring) Reading Level Parent, Teacher, and Youth: 3rd through 5th grade
*DSM-IV-TR Scoring still available for online and software options.
Table 1 illustrates the scope of the Conners CBRS. Both Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5)* (APA, 2013) diagnostic criteria and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004) educational eligibility determinations require that reported problems be associated with clinically significant impairment in the youth’s functioning. The Impairment items in the Conners CBRS gauge the level of impairment that is present at home, at school, and with peers. Responses provide preliminary information about whether the problems described by the respondent have a pervasive impact on functioning. The Conners CBRS features direct connections to the DSM-5 so that symptoms can be examined and linked to DSM-5 symptomlevel diagnostic criteria. Elevated T-scores on the Conners CBRS Content Scales indicate potential problems in specific areas. Certain patterns of elevations tend to co-occur with certain DSM-5 diagnoses. In many cases, scale elevations suggest key targets for intervention plans. Results also are linked to possible areas of eligibility under IDEA 2004, providing keys to disability determination as well as Individualized Education Program development. Elevated scores on the Conners CBRS may indicate the need for accommodations in regular education settings or for special education and related services. A youth who has elevated Conners CBRS scores may meet criteria for IDEA 2004 eligibility in
Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales™ (Conners CBRS ®), C. Keith Conners, Ph.D.
the areas of Autistic Disorder, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Specific Learning Disability, Other Health Impairment, and/or Speech or Language Impairment. Validity scales provide a guideline against which the assessor can appraise overly negative, overly positive, or inconsistent responding. The Conners CBRS has many potential uses in schools, special education and regular classrooms, outpatient and inpatient clinics, residential treatment centers, private practice, child protective services, and juvenile detention centers. It can be helpful at both the assessment stage (e.g., diagnosis, classification, screening, research) and the intervention stage (e.g., planning, monitoring progress, program evaluation). After a diagnosis has been established and it has been determined that intervention is required, it is appropriate to use the Conners CBRS to monitor treatment response, regardless of which treatment approach is selected. Regular administration of the Conners CBRS or the Conners Clinical Index (Conners CI ™) is an efficient way to gather data regarding current level of functioning. When medication is used in the treatment plan, repeated administration of the Conners CBRS or the Conners CI can help refine intervention efforts, whether indicating the benefit of a new medication, a change in dosage, or a reduced need for medication. When a non-pharmacological approach is used, results from the Conners CBRS can indicate which symptoms are responding to the intervention, as well as show which areas require additional attention. Repeat administrations of the Conners CBRS can also highlight new symptoms that may emerge as previous symptoms are addressed. The Conners CI is extracted from the Conners CBRS form. It contains the 24 items that best distinguish youth with a