What Assessments are Used in AF-CBT?

AF-CBT begins with a multisource assessment to identify the nature of the problems the child is experiencing, specific caregiver and family difficulties that may be contributing to these problems, and the strengths of the individual child and the family that may influence change. Tailoring the treatment to the family’s specific strengths and challenges is key to achieving sustained outcomes (Kolko & Swenson, 2002). Four relevant assessment instruments are currently suggested for use in AF-CBT:

• Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996)
• Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (B-CAP; Milner, 1986; Ondersma et al., 2005)
• Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS; Foa et al., 2001)
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman et al., 1998)

A separate document available to trainees describes background information, and scoring and interpretation guidelines for each instrument, and provides a copy of the item content of each instrument in both English and Spanish.