Assessing support needs in children with intellectual disability and motor impairments: measurement invariance and group differences

A quality of life supports model: Six research-focused steps to evaluate the model and enhance research practices in the field of IDD

In the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) the constructs of quality of life and supports have been combined into a Quality of Life Supports Model (QOLSM) that is currently used internationally for supports provision, organization transformation, and systems change. With the model's increasing and widespan use in research and practice, there is a need to evaluate the model's impact at the individual, organization, and systems levels. The purpose of this article is to outline six specific research-focused evaluation steps that allow researchers to evaluate the model and thereby enhance research practices is the field of IDD. These steps involve: (1) operationalizing components of the QOLSM; (2) relating QOLSM components to the type of research planned and intended outcome indicators; (3) gathering evidence and establishing its credibility; (4) interpreting and communicating the results; (5) implementing research outcomes at the level of the microsystem, mesosystem and macrosystem; and (6) judging the impact of the model. These steps delineate a research framework that is based on a systematic approach to evidence-based practices and enhanced research practices in the field of IDD.

El modelo de calidad de vida y apoyos: la unión tras veinticinco años de caminos paralelos

El artículo presenta la integración operativa de los paradigmas de calidad de vida y apoyos en un modelo conjunto denominado Modelo de Calidad de Vida y Apoyos (MOCA) que integra características significativas de la transformación actual en el campo de las discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo. Estas características abarcan un enfoque holístico e integrado, centrado en los derechos humanos y legales, que sirve de base para tomar las decisiones sobre servicios y apoyos en las limitaciones significativas de las principales áreas de actividad de la vida, con un énfasis en los apoyos individualizados proporcionados dentro de ambientes inclusivos de la comunidad y que promueva la evaluación de resultados. Los contenidos de este artículo incluyen: (a) los cuatro elementos del MOCA: valores fundamentales, dimensiones de calidad de vida individual y familiar, sistemas de apoyo y condiciones facilitadoras; (b) cómo se puede utilizar el MOCA como marco para la provisión de apoyos, la evaluación de resultados centrada en la persona, la transformación de la organización y el cambio de sistemas; y (c) cómo el MOCA es esencial para el cambio de paradigma actual en el campo de las discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo.

A Systematic Review of the Assessment of Support Needs in People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

An evaluation of support needs is fundamental to the provision of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Services should be organized by considering the support that people need to improve their quality of life and enforce their rights as citizens. This systematic review is conducted to analyze the rigor and usefulness of the available standardized tools for assessing support needs, as well as the uses of their results. Several databases were consulted, including Web of Sciences, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest Central, PsycInfo, ERIC, and CINAHL, and the 86 documents that met the review criteria were organized into four sections: (a) measurement tools, (b) descriptive/correlational studies, (c) predictive studies, and (d) interventions. The results showed that age, level of intellectual disability, adaptive behavior skills, the number and type of associated disabilities, and medical and behavioral needs affected the support needs of people with disabilities. Quality of life outcomes have been predicted by the individual’s support needs, explaining a significant percentage of their variability. The findings are useful in guiding assessments and planning interventions. Further research should address the effectiveness of specific support strategies and the development of social policies and indicators for inclusion that involve assessing support needs.

Toward a Better "Person-Environment Fit" through Items Calibration of the SIS-C

The Supports Intensity Scale-Children's Version (SIS-C) is the only available tool to assess extraordinary support needs for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. In past years, several works have proclaimed the need for its ongoing improvement as a measurement instrument. To contribute to this line of research, the goal of this work is to analyze the reliability of the SIS-C and its usefulness to distinguish between different levels of intensity of support needs. To address this, 814 children and adolescents with intellectual disability (M = 11.13 years; SD = 3.41) were assessed using the SIS-C Spanish version. Item response theory analyses were conducted to estimate latent scores and assess measurement quality along the support needs continuum. The SIS-C items showed good overall discrimination and information values, and none showed problems that required their removal or modification. However, all the scales composing the SIS-C showed problems in discerning high levels of intensity of support needs, especially for children and adolescents with severe/profound intellectual disability. This ceiling effect may be an obstacle for both research and practice involving the SIS-C. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and future lines of research for improving the SIS-C are provided.