Families and Children outcomes measurement matrix explanatory notes
This page explains the instuments and outcomes listed on the Measurements matrix page.
Information about the instruments listed in the outcomes measurements matrix
| Instrument | Description | Target group | Administration | Literacy levels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASQ | Ages and Stages Questionnaire | A 30-item screening tool for developmental delay (communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social). Completion time is 10–15 minutes. Available to purchase from: agesandstages.com/products-services/asq3/ | Children 1 month–5.5 years | Parent/ carer | Grades 4–6 |
| ASQ-TRAK | Ages and Stages Questionnaire – Talk about Raising Aboriginal Kids | An adapted version of the ASQ developmental screening tool for Aboriginal children 2 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months and 48 months of age. Available to purchase from: asq-trak.education.unimelb.edu.au/index | Aboriginal children 2–48 months | Professionals | Designed to be administered by interview |
| BECS | Brigance Early Childhood Screens | A developmental screening tool designed for children from birth to 5 years. The tool assesses language, motor, self-help, social-emotional and cognitive skills. Completion time is 10-15 minutes per child. Assessment can be made through interview, child performance, and observation. Available to purchase from: curriculumassociates.com/programs/brigance/early-childhood | Children 0–5 years | Professionals | No information available |
| BERS-2 | Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale | 58-item scale to measure strengths and competencies in children aged 5 to 18 years. There are 6 subscales including interpersonal strength, family involvement, intrapersonal strength, school functioning, affective strength and career strength. BERS-2 measures a child’s behaviour from 3 perspectives, the child (youth rating scale), parent (parent rating scale) and teacher or other professional (teacher rating scale). Completion time is 10–20 minutes. Available for purchase from: proedaust.com.au/bers-2-complete-kit | Children 5–18 years | Professionals, parent/carer and self-administered | No information available |
| CDRISC | Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale | A 25-item scale that measures a person's degree of resilience. Completion time: 5-10 minutes. Available for purchase from: cd-risc.com/submit-ofr.php | Children 10 years and older | Self- administered | Grade 5 |
| CSEI-SC | Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory – School Form | A 58-item school form that measures attitudes toward the self. The form generates six subscales (1) General self (26 items); (2) Social self-peers (8 items); (3) Home-parents (8 items); (4) School-academic (8 items); (5) Total self (50 items); (6) Lie scale score (8 items). Completion time is 30 minutes, or 15 minutes for the short form version. Available to purchase from: mindgarden.com/85-coopersmith-self-esteem-inventory | Children 8–15 years | Self- administered | No information available |
| ECQB | Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire – short and very short forms | A 107 (short) or 36 (very short) item instrument that assesses early childhood temperament. Completion time is 30 minutes for the short form or 10 minutes for the very short form. Available for free on request from: research.bowdoin.edu/rothbart-temperament-questionnaires/instrument-descriptions/the-early-childhood-behavior-questionnaire | Infants 18–36 months | No information available | |
| EPDS | Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | A 10-item screening tool that identifies pregnant women or new mothers who are at-risk of perinatal depression. Available for free: blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/edinburgh-postnatal-depression-scale | Pregnant women or new mothers | Self- administered | Grade 6 |
| FACES-IV | Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale | A 62-item self-report instrument that assesses family cohesion, adaptability, communication and satisfaction. Available for purchase from: facesiv.com | Parents/carers and young people | Self- administered | Grade 7 |
| FAM-III | Family Assessment Measure | A self-report instrument that assesses family strengths and weaknesses through concepts such as task accomplishment, role performance, communication, affective expression, involvement, control, and values and norms. The FAM consists of a General Scale, which focuses on the family as a system; a Dyadic Relationships Scale, which examines relationships between specific pairs; and Self-Rating scale that allows each person to rate his or her functioning within the family. Completion time is 30-40 minutes. Available for purchase from: cognitivecentre.com/assessment/family-assessment-measure-iii-fam-iii | Parents/carers and children aged ten years or older | Self- administered | Grade 5 |
| FES | Family Environment Scale | A 90-item scale that evaluates the social and environmental characteristics of the family unit. There are 3 subscales that measure the family relationship, personal growth and family system maintenance. Completion time is 15-20 minutes. Available for purchase from: mindgarden.com/96-family-environment-scale | Parents and children aged 11 years or older | Self- administered | Grade 6 |
| GEM | Growth and Empowerment Measure | Measures changes in life skills, personal growth, and social emotional wellbeing by stimulating reflection about past, present and future possibilities. GEM is suitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as well as for non-Indigenous people in diverse settings from communities, workplaces, prisons, drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation, youth programs, university courses and clinical settings offering trauma and grief and loss counseling (Haswell et al., 2010; Berry et al., 2012). Available for free by contacting Melissa Haswell at [email protected]. | Adults | Self- administered or administered via interview | Grade 6 reading level or administer orally by interview |
| IPPA-R | Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment – Revised | A 53-item scale that examines parent (28 items) and peer (25 items) attachment along the dimensions of trust, communication and alienation. Available from: youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Inventory-of-Parents-and-Peer-Attachment-Revised | Children 9–15 years | Self- administered | Grade 4 |
| ISEL | Interpersonal Support Evaluation List | A 40-item scale that measures perceived availability of social support. Widely tested. Available for free download from: fetzer.org | Adults | Self- administered or administered via interview | No information available |
| ISSB | Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours | A 40-item scale that measures frequency of recent emotional, practical and information support. A 19-item short form is also available. Completion time is 10-15 minutes. Available for free download from: sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/inventory-socially-supportive-behaviors | Adults | Self- administered or administered via interview | No information available |
| K10 | Kessler Psychological Distress Scale | A 10-item questionnaire designed to measure psychological distress. The K10 uses a five-value response option for each question that results in a minimum score of no distress and a maximum score of severe distress. Available for free: blackdoginstitute.org.au | Adults | Self- administered | Grade 4 |
| KPCS | Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale | A 15-item scale designed to measure perceived parental self-efficacy in parents of infants aged 0-12 months. The KPCS has a 3-factor structure: parenting, support, and child development. Available for free from: plct.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/karitane-parenting-confidence-scale.-copy | Parents/carers of infants aged 0–12 months | Self- administered | Grade 5 |
| M&MF | Me and My Feelings Questionnaire | A 16-item measure of child mental health that covers the domains of emotional difficulties and behavioural difficulties. Completion time is under 10 minutes. Available for free from: corc.uk.net/media/2605/me-my-feelings-questionnaire-interactive-pdf.pdf | Children 8-18 years | No information available | |
| PAFAS | Parenting Confidence Scale | A 30-item scale to assess changes in parenting practices and parental adjustment. There are 2 subscales, the parenting scale measuring parenting practices and parent–child relationships and the family adjustment scale measuring parental emotional adjustment and partner support. Available for free from: pfsc.psychology.uq.edu.au/files/2624/Parenting%20and%20Family%20Adjustment%20Scales%281%29.pdf | Adults | Self- administered | No information available |
| PEDS | Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status | A 10-item screening test that elicits parents' concerns about their child's development and health in order to detect developmental and behavioural concerns in babies and children. Available for free: pedstest.com/introduction-to-peds | Children 0–8 years | Parent/ carer | Grades 4–5 |
| PEEM | Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Scale | A short 20-item scale designed to measure parental efficacy through the assessment of a parent's confidence to make parenting decisions and perform parenting responsibilities, and capacity to connect with informal and formal networks. The PEEM is available in a hard-copy paper version for free: www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/649785/PEEM-instructions.pdf An online version is also available to use for a small administrative fee. See: https://www.realwell.org.au/peem/ | Parents/carers of children aged 5–12 years | Self- administered | Grade 4 |
| PIPPS | Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale | A 32-item likert scale that asks parents or caregivers to rate how frequently they have observed peer play behaviours. Used to measure peer relationships with a focus on peer play. The tool is available for purchase by contacting the developers: gse.upenn.edu/child/products/pipps | Preschool-aged children | Parent/carer/teacher | No information available |
| PRQ85 | Personal Resource Questionnaire | A two-part tool, of which either part can be used. Part I measures the total number of supports in a person's life and their satisfaction with those supports across ten life situations, and Part II measures perceived levels of social support on a 25-item likert scale. Available for free on request from: montana.edu/cweinert/prq85.html | Adults | Self- administered or administered via interview | No information available |
| PS | Parenting Scale | A 30-item scale that examines parental competence in relation to discipline style, with a focus on dysfunctional discipline. Completion time is 5-10 minutes. Available for free: copmi.net.au/professionals-organisations/what-works/evaluating-your-intervention/parents-carers-families/competence | Parents of children at pre-school age, up to adolescence. | Parent/ carer | Grade 6 |
| PSAM | Parenting Self-Agency Measure | A 10-item scale deigned to assess the general level of confidence parents have in their ability to engage in successful parenting behaviours. The PSAM examines confidence, helplessness in the face of child opposition, the ability to resolve parent-child conflict, and effort in parenting and persistence. Available for free: copmi.net.au/professionals-organisations/what-works/evaluating-your-intervention/parents-carers-families/competence | Parents/carers | Self- administered | Grade 4 |
| PSI | Parenting Stress Index | A screening and triage measure that evaluates levels of stress in the parent-child system, and identifies any issues that may lead to problems in the child's or parent's behavior. Three major domains of stress are measured: child characteristics, parent characteristics and life stress. Completion time is 20 minutes. Available to purchase from: https://shop.acer.org/ | Parents and children 12 years or younger | Parent/ carer | Grade 5 |
| PSOC | Parenting Sense of Competence Scale | A 17-item scale to assess parenting self-esteem. Measures parent’s sense of their own competence through 2 sub-scales of efficacy and satisfaction. Available for free from: bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/sps/documents/c-change/parenting-sense-of-competence-scale.pdf | Adults | Self- administered | No information available |
| PWI-A | Personal Wellbeing Index–Adult | A 7-item scale that measures adult satisfaction with specific life domains including standard of living; health; life achievement; personal relationships; personal safety; community-connectedness; and future security. Available for free: acqol.com.au/iwbg/wellbeing-index | Adults | Self- administered | Grade 8 |
| PWI-SC | Personal Wellbeing Index – School Children | A 7-item scale that measures child satisfaction with specific life domains including standard of living; health; achievements in life; community connection; personal relationships; safety; and future security. Available for free: acqol.com.au/iwbg/wellbeing-index/ | School-aged children and adolescents | Self- administered | Grade 4 |
| RSCA | Resiliency Scale for Children and Adolescents | The RSCA consists of 3 scales that measure different aspects of perceived strength and vulnerability. The 3 areas assessed are sense of mastery, sense of relatedness, and emotional reactivity. Completion time is 5 minutes per scale, with each scale comprising of 20–24 items. The scales can be used in combination or as stand-alone instruments. Available for purchase from: https://www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Behavior/Resiliency-Scales-for-Children-%26-Adolescents%3A-A-Profile-of-Personal-Strengths/p/100000655.html | Children 9–18 years | Self- administered | Grade 3 |
| RQ | Rumble’s Quest | Rumble’s Quest is an interactive video game to assess child wellbeing, including attachment, home-family relationships, social and emotional confidence, self-regulation and pro-social behaviour. The game takes children approximately 45 minutes to play. Available for purchase from: realwell.org.au/rumbles-quest | Children 5–12 years | Self- administered | Basic literacy required |
| SCBE | Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale, Preschool Edition | An 80-item scale measuring a child's social and emotional adaptation to a preschool environment. Completion time is 15 minutes. Available to purchase from: paa.com.au/product/scbe | 30 months–6 years | Professional | No information available |
| SDQ | Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire | A 25-item behavioural screening instrument that focuses on children's emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationships, and prosocial behaviour. Completion time is 5 minutes. The SDQ is available in over 60 languages and can be accessed for free: sdqinfo.org | Children 2–17 years | Parents and teachers, or self-administered by children aged over 11 years | Grade 5 |
| SPS | Social Provisions Scale | A 24-item scale that measures six different elements of social support. Can be self-adminstered or through interview and takes approximately five minutes to complete. Can be downloaded for free from researchgate: researchgate.net/publication/271507385_The_Provisions_of_Social_Relationships_and_Adaptation_to_Stress | Adults | Self-administered or administered via interview | No information available |
| SSIS | Social Skills Improvement System | Assesses social skills, problem behaviours and academic competence. Completion time 10-25 minutes. Available for purchase from pearsonclinical.com/education/products/100000322/social-skills-improvement-system-ssis-rating-scales.html#tab-resources | Children aged 3–18 years | Professional | No information available |
| SSQ6 | Social Skills Questionnaire – Revised | A 6-item questionnaire with each question in 2 parts listing number of sources of support and satisfaction with available support. Takes approximately 15–18 minutes. Available for free from: cymha.ca/Modules/MeasuresDatabase/en/Home/Detail/229 | Adults | Self- administered | No information available |
| WAI | Who am I? | A development assessment tool that assesses cognitive processes underlying early literacy and numeracy skills. The WAI instrument is suitable for children with limited English. Completion time is 20 minutes. Available for purchase from: shop.acer.edu.au/who-am-i | Children 4–8 years | Self- administered | Not language dependent |
Definitions of child and parent related outcomes
| Outcome | Definition | |
|---|---|---|
| Child | Early childhood development/school readiness | The extent to which a child is meeting their developmental milestones (e.g., communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and social emotional domains) |
| Social and emotional wellbeing | Demonstrated social and emotional skills including emotional regulation, self-esteem and developing positive relationships | |
| Social skills | Demonstrates the skills needed to get along with others such as negotiating, sharing, considering others need and problem solving | |
| Peer relationships | Experiences trust, positive communication and connectedness with peers | |
| Behavioural problems | Demonstrated hyperactivity, aggression, conduct issues and other anti-social behaviours | |
| Personal wellbeing (child) | Satisfaction with whole of quality of life; subjective measure of self | |
| Resilience | The ability of the child to cope and adapt to overcome challenges | |
| Parent-child relationship (child) | Experiences trust and positive communication with a parent | |
| Parent | Family functioning | The ability of family members to accomplish basic, developmental and crisis tasks |
| Parent-child relationship (parent) | The effect of external and internal stressors on the parent-child relationship | |
| Parental confidence/capacity | Confidence to parent effectively and handle child problems | |
| Mental health | Indicator of depression or anxiety | |
| Parental stress | The extent to which external and internal stressors diminish the capacity to parent and endangers wellbeing | |
| Personal wellbeing (parent) | Satisfaction with quality of life; subjective measure of wellbeing | |
| Improved responses to child's behaviour | Parenting skills, behaviours and strategies that promote positive behaviours in child | |
| Improved connections with the community | The quality of the parent's relationship with other community members, organisations and services |
References
Berry, S.L., Crowe, T.P., Deane, F.P., Billingham, M., and Bhageru, Y. (2012). Growth and empowerment for Indigenous Australians in substance abuse treatment. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10(6), 970–983.
Haswell, M., Kavanagh, D., Tsey, K., Reilly, L., Cadet-James, Y., Laliberte, A., Wilson, A, and Doran, C. (2010). Psychometric validation of the Growth and Empowerment Measure (GEM) applied with Indigenous Australians. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44, 791–799.