Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-3)

The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-3) is aimed at assessing adaptive skills across the lifespan. With this being said, one unique trait of the ABAS-3 is that it can be completed by significant people in the client’s relational system life too! Significant others include parents, teachers or daycare caregivers. In fact, the ABAS-3 includes 5 rating forms, each for a specific age range and respondent.

Ψ Five Parent/Primary Caregiver Forms (Ages 0-5)
Ψ Five Teacher/Daycare Provider Forms (Ages 2-5)
Ψ Five Parent Forms (Ages 5-21)
Ψ Five Teacher Forms (Ages 5-21)
Ψ Five Adult Forms (Ages 16-89) – this can function as a self-report

The ABAS-3 is available in both English and Spanish. 

The ABAS-3 examines 11 essential skill areas within 3 major adaptive domains: conceptual, social and practical domains of life. These 11 adaptive skill areas are communication, community use, functional academics, health and safety, home/school living, leisure, self-care, self-direction, social, work and motor skills. Each skill area is assessed based on 9 or 10 skills in a given age range. These skill areas are targeted at practical, everyday activities required to function, meet environmental demands, care for oneself and interact with others independently.

Given its emphasis on adaptive functioning in conceptual, social, and practical domains, the ABAS-3 is useful for evaluating those with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, neuropsychological disorders and sensory or physical impairments. In fact, one of the criteria for intellectual disability listed in the DSM-V manual is a deficit in adaptive functioning in these three areas. This similarity in categorizing symptoms highlights the ABAS-3’s compatibility with the DSM-V and can act as a good complement to therapy. With this compatibility in sight, the ABAS-3 can be helpful in the process of developing management plans and therapy goals, as well as for documenting and monitoring progress over time.