A 21-item, rapid behavioral screening tool that is completed by parents and/or caregivers of children who have had recent exposure to a traumatic and/or stressful event. The tool’s items consist of 17 general behavioral questions, grouped into three domains—anxious/withdrawn, fearful, and acting out—and four questions specific to trauma exposure, and focused either on play or talk. Question responses are scored on a 4-point scale, based on symptom applicability and frequency—Almost Never (1), Sometimes (2), Often (3), and Very Often (4). The PEDS averages abouts even minutes to administer.
Balaban, V. (2006). Psychological assessment of children in disasters and emergencies. Disasters, 30(2), 178-198.
Children aged 2 to 10 years who have been exposed to trauma
Saylor, C.F, Swenson, C. C., Reynolds, S. S., & Taylor, M. (1999). The Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale: A brief screening measure for young children exposed to traumatic events. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 28(1), 70-81.