(Conners CBRS) Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales

BY C. KEITH CONNERS, PHD

The Conners CBRS provides a complete overview of child and adolescent behavior, assessing a wide spectrum of disorders and problems. Used in schools, clinics, hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and juvenile justice settings, this comprehensive measure supports diagnosis and guides intervention.

Three Sources of Information

The CBRS is composed of three rating scales: one completed by the teacher (204 items), one by the parent or caregiver (203 items), and one by the student being evaluated (179 items). The teacher and parent scales, written at a fourth-grade reading level, can be used to assess students 6 through 18 years of age. The self-report scale, written at a third-grade level, is appropriate for 8- through 18-year-olds.

A Broad–Spectrum Assessment

The three CBRS forms cover the following scales: 

Empirical Scales

• Emotional Distress
• Aggressive Behaviors
• Academic Difficulties
• Hyperactivity or Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
• Separation Fears
• Social Problems
• Perfectionistic and Compulsive Behaviors 

Rational Scales

• Violence Potential
• Physical Symptoms

DSM-IV-TR Symptom Scales

• ADHD
• Conduct Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Major Depressive Episode
• Manic Episode
• Mixed Episode
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Social Phobia
• Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
• Autistic Disorder
• Asperger’s Disorder

Validity Scales

• Positive Impression
• Negative Impression
• Inconsistency Index

The Empirical Scales identify a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and academic problems; the Rational Scales alert you to the student’s potential for violence; and the DSM-IV-TR Symptom Scales support formal diagnosis by linking symptoms to established diagnostic criteria.

Critical Items and Indicators

While scale scores are important, useful information can be derived from specific items as well. These items, along with clinical indicators, reveal issues that may warrant further investigation—severe conduct, self-harm, functional impairment, bullying, panic attack, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, enuresis/encopresis, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, specific phobia, substance use, tics, and more.

Clinical Index

The CBRS also includes a 25-item Clinical Index, which tells you how likely it is that a given child will have a clinical diagnosis. Completed in less than 5 minutes, it is useful when you are monitoring treatment progress and must assess the child repeatedly. Although it is included on the teacher, parent, and self-report forms, the Clinical Index can also be purchased separately.

Unlimited-Use Computer Scoring

Because the CBRS is such a comprehensive test, it must be computer scored. With unlimited-use software, you can quickly score the test and generate a variety of helpful reports that provide clear links to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria and IDEA eligibility indicators. Portions of these reports can be cut and pasted into your own documents, allowing you to create individualized narratives for each student assessed.

A Single Instrument Answering Diverse Needs

No matter how diverse your students or young clients are, the CBRS can help you identify their problems or determine their diagnoses. It can tell you who qualifies for special services, which interventions are likely to be effective, and how well treatment is working. This single assessment addresses a multitude of problems and guides you toward individualized solutions.