Problem behavior, often called maladaptive behavior, is behavior that is undesirable, socially unacceptable, or that interferes with the acquisition of desired skills or knowledge. The traditional approach to measuring maladaptive behavior has been to exhibited by a given individual, resulting in a numeric test score.
There are four problems with this approach.
First, Even if test administration time is of no importance, no list is ever long enough to include every possible maladaptive behavior. If a person exhibits a problem behavior that is not listed on a test, his/her test score will be too low.
Second, not all problem behaviors are of equal importance. One could not say that "hitting someone" and "swearing" are of equal significance; nevertheless each of these behaviors are worth one point on many maladaptive behavior scales.
Third, the frequency of behaviors is important. Hitting people is worse if it happens ten times per day than if it happens only once per month.
Finally, there are interactions between frequency and severity and among multiple problem behaviors. Is it twice as bad if you swear at someone at the same time that you hit them, or does the physical assault make the verbal behavior irrelevant?
Some tests attempt to rate each maladaptive behavior on a list as occurring "seldom" or "frequently." Other researchers have attempted to get experts to agree on the seriousness of a hypothetical list of behaviors. The problem remains, however, regarding what to do about problems that are not on the test, and on how to manage the interactions among frequency of behavior and severity of multiple behaviors. The result has been that the reliability of previous maladaptive behavior scales has been much lower (typically less than r=.60) than the reliability of adaptive behavior scales (frequently r=.90 or better).
The ICAP is able to assess all maladaptive behaviors because instead of using a checklist, it assesses an exhaustive set of eight categories of behavior in open-ended questions. Furthermore, it assesses both the frequency and the severity of behaviors.
The result is short test with a reliability of approximately r=.80. For each applicable problem behavior category the respondent reports the specific behavior that is the biggest problem, and rates it according to frequency of occurrence and severity. At the conclusion of the test, the respondent is asked about how problem behaviors are usually managed by other people when they occur. The response generally made by others to the problem behavior is of considerable value in assessing the dynamics of that behavior and the appropriateness of its consequence in the subject's environment.
These four dimensions (the description of specific problem behaviors, frequency of occurrence, severity, and the usual management response by others) represent the primary bases for evaluating the effects of problem behavior on the individual, his/her peers, and his environment. This information is necessary for developing individual plans, as well as for planning service intensity. The ICAP yields normed numeric scores that vary by age for problem behaviors in three areas (internalized, externalized, and asocial) as well as a total score. Scores range from +10 (good) to -74 (extremely serious) with an average of 0 and a standard deviation of 10.
The purpose of measuring adaptive and maladaptive behavior is usually either for diagnosis or for program planning. The diagnosis of mental retardation, for example, requires deficits in both cognitive ability and adaptive behavior, occurring before age 18. Adaptive behavior assessment is also used to determine the type and amount of special assistance that people with disabilities may need. This assistance might be in the form of home-based support services for infants and children and their families, special education and vocational training for young people, and supported work or special living arrangements such as personal care attendants, group homes, or nursing homes for adults. Adaptive behavior assessments are often used in preschool and special education programs for determining eligibility, for program planning, and for assessing outcomes.