The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale or VABS is one of the various assessment tools that can be used to help diagnose and evaluate the special needs of students. The focus of this particular test is the measurement of the adaptive behaviors, including the ability to cope with environmental changes, to learn new everyday skills and to demonstrate independence.
Adaptive behavior, according to Eugene Edgar Doll, a pioneer in psychology, is multidimensional and reflects the individual’s personal and social skills as he interacts with his environment. Thus, three social research scientists, Sara Sparrow, David Balla, and Domenic Cicchetti developed the VABS.
This is one of many assessment tools available for special needs students. For more of a basic understanding read this overview on special needs students assessment tools and tests.
The primary purpose of the VABS is to assess the social abilities of an individual, whose age ranges from preschool to 18 years old. The results reliably reveal crucial information for diagnosing various disabilities, including autism, Asperger syndrome, mental retardation, and speech impairment.
Since adaptive behavior is a composite of various dimensions, the test measures five domains. These are the Communication, Daily Living Skills, Socialization, Motor Skills, and Maladaptive Behavior domains.
· The Communication Domain evaluates the receptive, expressive, and written communication skills of the child.
· The Daily Living Skills Domain measures personal behavior as well as domestic and community interaction skills.
· The Socialization Domain covers play and leisure time, interpersonal relationships, and various coping skills.
· The Motor Skills Domain measures both gross and fine motor skills.
The first four domains are key parts of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. But the last domain, Maladaptive Behavior, is an optional part of the assessment test. It is used when measuring obvious undesirable behaviors. For children who are younger than 6 years old, a different version of the VABS is used.