Vineland adaptive behavior Scales is an individually administered measure of adaptive behavior

from birth to 90 years. These scales are available in 3 versions. Two survey forms namely survey
interview form and survey parent/caregiver rating form which assess adaptive behavior in 4
domains of communication, daily living kills, socialization and motor skills. It also include a
maladaptive behavior domain.
2nd version- The expanded interview form. This provides more comprehensive assessment of
adaptive behavior with the 4 domains and also provides basis for preparation of individual …
rehabilitative and treatment program.
3rd version- The teacher rating form- this also provides assessment in 4 domain but specifically
on behavior exhibited in the classroom setting and other academic functioning. The vineland
ABS has 4 major domains and 11 subdomains which sample skills across the lifespan.
Norms are based on large sample of over 2,000 individuals. Results are interpretable, level of
functioning in domains documents qualification for special program and services.
 Individual strengths and weaknesses could be determined.
 It enables age related decline in adaptive functioning of older individuals.
 Vineland II results can help in providing program for independent.
This enables individual from either sex, social economic background and ethnic group could
be assessed with confidence. Finally maladaptive behavior were grouped into internalizing
and externalizing which is consistent with current research. This help in making clinical
diagnoses.
STRUCTURE OF THE VINELAND -II
0- 6 years
Adaptive Communication domain
Behavior daily living skills domain
Composite socialization domain
Motor skills domain
7-90 years
Adaptive Communication D (CD)
Behavior daily living skills D (DLSD)
Composite socialization D (SD)

CONTENT DESCRIPTION
Communication Domain
Receptive- how individual listens and pay attention to what he understands.
Expressive- what individual says, how he uses words to provide information.
Written- what individual read and write, how … make words.
Daily Living Skills Domain
Personal- eating, dressing and personal hygiene
Domestic- household task individual performed
Community- how individual use time, money, telephone, computer and job skills.
Socialization Domain
Interpersonal Relationships- how he interact with others.
Play and leisure time- how he plays and uses leisure time
Coping skills- how individual show responsibility and sensitivity to others.
Motor Skills Domain
Gross- how he uses arms and legs for movement
Fine- how he uses hands and fingers to manipulate objects.
Summation of the above domains give us the adaptive behavior composite.
Other domain is optional which is maladaptive behavior domain
MBD- A composite if internalizing, externalizing and other types of undesirable behavior which
may interfere with individual adaptive functioning. It also include more severe maladaptive
behavior that may provide clinical important information, therefore
MBD- Maladaptive Behavior Index
Maladaptive behavior critical items.
USES OF VINELAND-II
It is applicable where the assessment if individual daily functioning is required in clinic,
educational and research settings.
(A) Diagnostic Evaluations- Strengths and weaknesses in some specific areas may be
determined. Apart from diagnosis of intellectual disability, it could also be used in
clinical diagnosis of variety of disorders such as : autism spectrum disorders, various
genetic disorder, developmental delays and other emotional, mental, physical and injury
related conditions.
 (B) Developmental Evaluations- It is an important tool for measuring young children
development. The expanded form is the best for evaluation of children …
(C) Progress Monitoring- All the three Vineland- II forms yield in-depth comprehensive
report about individual adaptive behaviors across settings.
TEST ADMINISTRATION
RATIONALE FOR SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS
The interview format which is semi-structured does not require the participation of the individual
whose adaptive behavior is being assessed but only requires a caregiver who knows
her/him/familiar person to respond to the individual behavior in question. In normal formal
testing session, a child may refuse to respond in a testing situation or required skill to carry out
due to shyness or just refuse to answer. This third party method of administration produces a
valid measure of those day-to-day activities that cannot be adequately measured through direct
administration of tasks and allows for the assessment individual who will not or cannot perform
on command.
TEST MATERIALS
Expanded interview farm record booklet, a pencil, starting point by age are indicated to the left
of the items and spaces for recording item scores are located to the right of the items. In addition,
these should be score sum on profile.
SELECTING RESPONDENT
This should be an adult that is familiar with the behavior (everyday behavior) of the individual
being evaluated in order to get valid result. Sometimes more than one respondent may be
necessary due to lack of sufficient knowledge by that one person of an individual activities in all
domains assessed by the vineland-II, but for a given domain only one respondent should provide
information. Self report for an adult should not be allowed for children under the age of 18.
Computing chronological age and adjusted age for infants in computing adjusted age replace
birth date with due date and replace chronological age with adjusted age.
Prematurity is defined as the birth that take place before 36th week of gestation while full term is
40 weeks
In normal calculation of chronological age, we have year, month and day.
Age ______
Date of Interview _______
Date of Birth (due date) _______
Chronological (adjusted age) _______
DETERMINE WHICH DOMAIN AND SUBDOMAIN TO ADMINISTER
The expanded interview form should be administered in order presented in the record booklet.
Don’t go straight to socializing before communication.
Don’t administer the domestic, community or coping skills subdomain if the client is younger
than 1 year of age. Do not administer the written sub domain if the individual is younger than
three years because the content are not appropriate for these individuals.
The motor skills domain is meant for children without disability … age 6 however examiner
may decide to administer it to adult who suspects to have motor functioning decline even
someone with visual impairment could be assessed with this subdomain.
ESTABLISH RAPPORT
Interview should be conducted in a quite room with adequate space and pleasant atmosphere
comfortable temperature. It enable respondent to provide accurate unbiased information about
the individual level of functioning. Respondent should describe what individual does not/ what
the individual might be capable of doing.
DETERMINING THE STARTING POINT
The starting point for expanded interview form subdomain is the content cluster for which you
should begin questioning and scoring items. This should be determined by chronological age. Do
not round up when determining this. In some cases, you might need to go back to determine
starting point because of suspected developmental delays in subject when starting point is based
on mental age, chronological age or social age. For example, a child of chronological age of 7
years and mental age of 3 years, we need to use the mental age to determine starting point which
is 3 years.
SCORING THE VINELAND
5 METHODS OF SCORING ARE USED NAMELY
1. Almost always (90%) _________4
2. Often (50-89%) _________3
3. Sometimes (10- 49%) _________2
4. Rarely (10%) _________1
5. Never perform without help ____0
A score of DK- don’t know is assigned when the respondent has no knowledge of
whether individual perform the activity. Item scored must reflect individual actual
independent performance of an activity not his or her capacity of performing it. For
example, if a child is capable of brushing her teeth but never does it without being
prompted score the zero. If a child was performing an activity before but now that her age
is more than that and could no longer do it score 0.
ESTABLISHING BASAL AND CEILING LEVEL
A basal level is established when in a cluster or subdomain all the content are scored 4 or 3
which mean individual is almost always or often perform the activity independently. It makes
scoring faster. However at starting point if child have a score of 0, 1, 2 or DK, then … more
working backward till basal point is established. If the cluster has the point of 4, 3 in a
subdomain, we can establish a basal but if it occurs in only one cluster, there is the basal.
NO CEILING RULE
All the contents are expected to be administered but there are cases where we know a child of 3
years is being assessed. It will be reasonable to … if under daily living skills under domestic
subdomain content clusters without asking respondent. Although caution should be taken where
attention is written, the items could be lower in difficulty than the previous clusters. So interview
should not just score zero without asking respondent in these areas.
MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIORAL DOMAIN
This section is optional but when interview knows problem behavior is intervening with adaptive
behavior of an individual aged 3 or older examiner may choose to administer it. It consist of 4
sections.
For maladaptive behavior index, examiner must administer the internalizing and externalizing
and others. Standardized scores must be derived. For others no standardized scores is needed. N
basal and ceiling rule.
No derived scores are available for the maladaptive behavior critical items, examiner could only
consider the items in the overall interpretation of the individual performance.
Maladaptive behavior might be introduced like from time to time, individuals exhibit behaviors
that are considered undesirable compared to other children of same age describe the behavior in
each item ask respondent if he is usually (2), sometimes (1) or never (0). A high score adaptive
behavior items reflect better performance, a high score on the maladaptive behavior items
reflects more problem the behavior. The intensity rating is S for severe which means the
behavior exhibited is strong enough to cause injury. M=moderate life the behavior shows not too
dangerous like … himself. These behavior could be recorded in comment section of record of
record booklet. We should ensure a single section of interview if possible. Verify basal rules,
ensure you administer all needed in subdomain, thank respondent.
COMPUTING RAW SCORES AND OBTAINING DERIVED SCORES
Identify … basal cluster, fill in the highest possible cluster sum in sum box. Assign a score of 2
for each item marked DK and for any missing items i.e if there are items unknowingly missed
the interviewer should follow up with the respondent or declare the subdomain unscorable
especially if missing items or DKs are more than … the sub domain is unscorable.
Compute cluster sums- add item scores count each DK as 2 or also missing item as 2.
Add cluster sums to obtain subdomain raw score.
Secondly, compute raw scores for maladaptive behavior index.
Sum internalizing and record at appropriate box. Sum externalizing and record in its box. Sum
others record the total sum in the maladaptive behavior index raw score.
Make sure the score summary page is completed
Instructions for obtaining derived scores.
DERIVED SCORES TABLE INFORMNATION NEEDED
V-scale score for adaptive B.1, PG 155 Chronological age (CA),
behavior subdomain subdomain raw scores.
Standard score for adaptive B.2, PG 202 CA, sum of subdomain v-
behavior domain scale scores.
Standard score for adaptive B.2 PG 202 CA, sums of domain standard
behavior composite score (excluding motor skills
for ages 7.0 and above)
V-scale scores for B.3, PG 219 CA, maladaptive behavior
maladaptive B. index and index and subscales raw
Subscales score.
Confidence intervals for C.1, PG 222 CA, desire level of
subdomain v-scale scores confidence … 90, 85,95%
Confidence interval for C2, PG 223
standard scores for adaptive
behavior domain and … is
composite.

DERIVED SCORES TABLE INFORMNATION NEEDED

Percentile ranks and stanines
for adaptive behavior
domains and adaptive
behavior composite
Adaptive level for adaptive
behavior domains and
adaptive … composite
Adaptive level for subdomain
Age equivalent for
subdomains
Confidence intervals for MBI
and subscales
Maladaptive levels for
maladaptive behavior index
and subscales
C.1, PG 224 Domain and adaptive
behavior composite standard
scores.
C.4, PG 225 Domain and adaptive B
composite standard scores.
C.4 PG 225 Subdomain v-scores
C.5, PG 225 Subdomain v-scores
C.6, PG 228 CA, desire level of
confidence 85, 90, 95%
C7, PG 228 Maladaptive behavior index
and subscale v-scale scores

Finding of raw score, v-scale score, standard score and percentile rank interval will be practically
discussed. In getting confidential interval, check table C1, C2 to determine subdomain and
domain v-scale score. Table C.6 for maladaptive behavior v-scale scores, check for individual
chronological age record the symbol at lower left.