The clinical validity and reliability of the Brief Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA)

This study investigates the construct validity and reliability of the Brief Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) in a psychiatric clinical sample of toddlers. The sample consisted of a psychiatric clinical sample (N = 112) (male, n = 79; female, n = 33) of toddlers (12- to 42-months old). Both mothers and fathers completed the BITSEA and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist 2/3 (CBCL). Children and their parents were administered a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. Parents were also given the Autistic Behavior Checklist (AuBC) and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC). The internal consistency of BITSEA scores was good to excellent for both parents. The BITSEA/Problem (P) scores were significantly correlated with Internalizing, Externalizing and Total Problem scores of the CBCL, all subscores of ABC and total score of AuBC. The BITSEA/Competence (C) scores were significantly inversely correlated with ABC total and AuBC lethargy scores. With respect to a community sample, BITSEA/P scores were significantly higher in the disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and anxiety/depression (Anx/Dep) groups and BITSEA/C scores were significantly lower in the autism group. These results support the reliability and validity of the BITSEA as a screening tool that may be employed in primary health care services and in psychiatric clinical settings for assessing social–emotional/behavioral problems and delays in competence in infants and toddlers.

Research highlights▶ Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) is a reliable tool in psychiatry clinical settings. ▶ BITSEA-problem subscale may be a screening instrument for disruptive behaviors and anxiety/depression. ▶ BITSEA-competence subscale may be promising and simply applied tool for screeening autism.