Support Needs of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Implications for Their Assessment.

The construct of support needs has become a key aspect for the diagnostics, classification, and interventional management of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, instruments specifically designed to assess support needs in this population are not available. Currently, the Supports Intensity Scale for Children (SIS-C), which could be administered to assess students with any type of intellectual disability (ID), is the only valid tool able to assess support needs in Spain.

Personal Factors, Living Environments, and Specialized Supports: Their Role in the Self-Determination of People with Intellectual Disability.

The self-determination of people with disabilities, and specifically people with intellectual disabilities (ID), is a growing issue due to its relevance in the field of inclusion and human rights. Although research has shown a significant relationship between self-determination and intelligence, other factors also contribute to its development. The purpose of this study was to understand what other variables may be influencing self-determination.

A measurement of self-determination for people with intellectual disability: description of the AUTODDIS scale and evidences of reliability and external validity.

Appropriate supports and instructional practices contribute to the development of self-determination. Also, research shows that the promotion of skills related to self-determination has been linked to the achievement of desired outcomes over the different life stages. Advances in self-determination require the development of assessment instruments because there is a reciprocal relationship between assessment and instruction.

Self-Determination in People with Intellectual Disability: The Mediating Role of Opportunities.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have proclaimed the basic right of people to make one's own choices, have an effective participation and inclusion. Research in the field of disability have stressed self-determination as a key construct because of its impact on their quality of life and the achievement of desired educational and adulthood related outcomes. Self-determination development must be promoted through specific strategies and especially, by providing tailored opportunities to practice those skills.

Examining measurement invariance and differences across groups in the support needs of children with and without intellectual disability.

Background: The purposes of this study were to empirically determine whether the support needs construct is generalizable across children with and without intellectual disability and to conduct cross-group comparisons to explore how extraordinary and non-extraordinary support needs differ in children.

Method: One thousand thirty-six children (814 with intellectual disability 222 without intellectual disability) were assessed using the SIS-C.

Results: The SIS-C achieved scalar invariance between children with and without intellectual disability.

What do stakeholders understand by self-determination? Consensus for its evaluation.

Background: Advances in international studies on self-determination point out the need for continuous efforts to deepen its understanding and implications. The aim of this study is to obtain a comprehensive pool of items to operationalize the self-determination construct that serves as a starting point towards a valid instrument based on the reports of others.

Method: We conducted a Delphi study of three rounds involving three panels of experts: ten professionals, five people with intellectual disability and six relatives of people with intellectual disability.

Are Type, Frequency, and Daily Time Equally Valid Estimators of Support Needs in Children With Intellectual Disability? A Multitrait-Multimethod Analysis of the Supports Intensity Scale for Children (SIS-C).

Support needs represent the intensity of support required by a person with a disability in order to take part in the activities related to normative human functioning. The Supports Intensity Scale for Children (SIS-C) is possibly the most promising tool for assessing and designing individualized support programs in children with intellectual disability. The SIS-C measures support needs across 61 activities, each one assessed along three methods: type of support, frequency, and daily time during which support is to be given.

Examining age-related differences in support needs on the Supports Intensity Scale-Children's Version-Spanish translation.

: Interest in the support needs of people with intellectual disability has directed attention to developing assessments to measure of the pattern and intensity of supports which people need to participate in valued life activities. Assessments of the support needs of children must account for the influence of age. : Four hundred fifty (450) Spanish children with intellectual disability (ages 5-16) were assessed with the .

Confirmatory factor analysis of the supports intensity scale for children.

Support needs assessment instruments and recent research related to this construct have been more focused on adults with intellectual disability than on children. However, the design and implementation of Individualized Support Plans (ISP) must start at an early age. Currently, a project for the translation, adaptation and validation of the supports intensity scale for children (SIS-C) is being conducted in Spain.

A psychometric evaluation of the ARC-INICO Self-Determination Scale for adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

The independence to decide and act as the causal agent in one's life are unchanging demands by empowerment movements focused on people with disabilities and by people with disabilities themselves. International efforts have been devoted to defining the concept of self-determination, analyzing its importance and relationship with the quality of life of people with disabilities and creating evaluation and promotion materials based on empirical evidences. The aim of this study is to present the process for developing and validating a new self-determination evaluation instrument for young people with intellectual disabilities: the ARC-INICO Scale.