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Validation of English Language Adaptations of the Kidslife and San Martin Scales for Assessing Quality of Life with Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Receiving Residential Care

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Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) is a key outcome used to monitor service planning and delivery for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Unfortunately, many current instruments used to measure QoL have psychometric and content limitations and none are suitable for use with individuals with the lowest levels of functioning and highest support needs. This study assessed the reliability and validity of English translations of the San Martín (n = 236) and KidsLife (n = 93) scales with individuals with concurrent diagnoses of Autism and IDD. All participants were between the ages of 17 and 52 years old (M = 30.7, SD = 8.51) and required full-time residential care. Scales were completed by educational (n = 39) and residential (n = 92) staff who had known the participants for a minimum of six months. Temporal stability (r = .73–.97) and inter-language consistency (r = .65–.97) was established for the San Martín translation. The KidsLife translation had strong interrater reliability (r = .74–.93). Predictive validity between the two scales was low across domains; however, evidence of discriminant validity suggested that the English translations of the San Martín (p = .09–.94) and KidsLife (p = .08–.93) scales measured a separate construct from intelligence. Results suggest that English translations of the San Martín and KidsLife provide reliable and valid estimates of QoL for individuals with concurrent Autism and IDD and moderate to profound support needs. Implications of these findings and guidelines for use of these instruments are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marist College School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601, USA

    Mary M. Stone & Karolina Callahan

  2. Anderson Center for Autism, 4885 Route 9, P.O. Box 367, Staatsburg, NY, 12580, USA

    Sudi Kash & Teresa Butler

  3. Intitute on Community Integration (INICO), University of Salamanca, Avda. De la Merced 109-1313, 7005, Salamanca, Spain

    Miguel A. Verdugo

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n 33010, Oviedo, Spain

    Laura E. Gómez

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  1. Mary M. Stone
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Correspondence to Mary M. Stone.

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The findings reported here have not been submitted for publication elsewhere. Portions of this paper will be presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the Eastern Psychlogical Association, New York, NY.

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Stone, M.M., Kash, S., Butler, T. et al. Validation of English Language Adaptations of the Kidslife and San Martin Scales for Assessing Quality of Life with Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Receiving Residential Care. J Dev Phys Disabil 32, 131–154 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-019-09686-0

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