Parent- and self-ratings of anxiety in children with mental retardation: Agreement levels and test-retest reliability

Abstract This study examined fears in children with and without developmental disabilities. Children assigned to classes designated as developmentally handicapped (D), integrated (or mainstreamed) (1), and regular (R) were assessed. In all, 82 children were tested and retested over a 2-week interval. Self ratings and parent ratings were obtained. Three instruments were used to assess specific fears, social anxiety, social competence, and behavior problems: the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised, the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, and the Child Behavior Rating Form. Correlations between parent and child ratings were fair to good. Child-parent agreement was nonsignificantly higher for children without disabilities and for children with mild handicaps integrated into regular education programs than for children in classes designated as Developmentally Handicapped. Children's test- retest reliabilities were generally higher than those of parents. Children without disabilities showed significantly higher consistency over time than children with disabilities.