ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The Scale of Emotional Development-Short (SED-S) is an instrument to assess the level of emotional development (ED) in people with intellectual and developmental disability. Index cases are developed as a didactic tool to standardize the application of the scale. METHOD: In a stepwise process, a European working group from six countries developed five index cases, one for each level of ED. All cases were first scored by 20 raters using the SED-S and then rephrased to reduce inter-rater variations (SD > 0.5). RESULTS: All five index cases yielded overall ratings that matched the intended level of ED. Across the range of ED, Regulating Affect needed rephrasing most to ensure a distinct description within each level of ED. CONCLUSIONS: The tri-lingual, cross-cultural evolution of five index cases contributes to a standardized application of the SED-S and can serve as training material to improve the inter-rater reliability of the SED-S across different cultures and languages.
Subject(s)
Affect , Developmental Disabilities/diagnosis , Emotional Regulation , Human Development , Intellectual Disability/diagnosis , Neuropsychological Tests/standards , Psychometrics/standards , Adult , Affect/physiology , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Developmental Disabilities/physiopathology , Emotional Regulation/physiology , Europe , Human Development/physiology , Humans , Intellectual Disability/physiopathology , Psychometrics/instrumentationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) is often accompanied by delays in emotional development (ED) that may result in challenging behavior. Insight into emotional functioning is crucial for appropriate diagnostic assessment in adults with ID. However, few standardized assessment instruments are available. AIMS: The aim of this study was to develop a short, psychometrically sound instrument for assessing levels of ED in individuals with ID: The Scale of Emotional Development - Short (SED-S), which can be applied to adults. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The Scale for ED - Revised2 (SED-R2) was taken as a point of departure. In a first step, the validity and observability of the items (N=556) in the SED-R2 were assessed by 30 experts from Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands. The SED-S was then constituted in a consecutive consensus process, in which items to be included were selected based on their assessments and subsequently rephrased, and in which the structure and method of administering the new scale were agreed upon. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The SED-S consists of 200 binary items describing five levels of emotional functioning (reference ages: 0-12 years) within eight domains: Relating to His/Her Own Body, Relating to Significant Others, Dealing with Change - Object Permanence, Differentiating Emotions, Relating to Peers, Engaging with the Material World, Communicating with Others, and Regulating Affect. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The SED-S offers an empirical-based, practical tool to assessing ED in adults with ID. Further research will be needed to meet the requirements of a standardized diagnostic instrument.
Subject(s)
Child Development , Emotions , Intellectual Disability/psychology , Belgium , Child , Child, Preschool , Consensus , Germany , Humans , Infant , Netherlands , Psychometrics , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The field of intellectual disability (ID) is strongly influenced by the Quality of Life paradigm (QOL). We aimed at investigating whether or not the QOL paradigm also applies to clients with ID and cooccurring mental health problems. This paper aims at stimulating a debate on this topic, by investigating whether or not QOL domains are universal. Focus groups with natural and professional network members were organized to gather qualitative data, in order to answer two questions: (1) Are the QOL dimensions conceptualized in the model of Schalock et al. applicable for persons with ID and mental health problems? (2) What are indicators relating to the above-mentioned dimensions in relation to persons with ID and mental health problems? The results offer some proof for the assumption that the QOL construct seems to have universal properties. With regard to the second question, the study revealed that the natural and professional network members are challenged to look for the most appropriate support strategies, taking specific indicators of QOL into account. When aspects of empowerment and regulation are used in an integrated manner, the application of the QOL paradigm could lead to positive outcomes concerning self-determination, interdependence, social inclusion, and emotional development.
