[Scales and questionnaires for the evaluation of behavior disorders in children]

The need for quantitative clinical evaluation tools for use in child psychiatry is obvious. Behavior rating scales are useful for comparing clinical and laboratory data, monitoring the effects of treatments, and enhancing communication between clinicians and investigators. The methodological principles used to construct and validate such tools are described. This approach is of benefit in most psychiatric disorders of children and adolescents. The questionnaires and scales most widely used throughout the world and available in French are reviewed. The advantages and drawbacks of evaluation scales in everyday practice and in research are discussed, with the BSE-A scale (Behavior Summarized Evaluation of Austism) as an example.