Advancing in the Self-Determination of young people with intellectual disability: Design of AUTODDIS Scale

Abstract

Self-determination is one of the most important constructs for the welfare and autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities, who have traditionally had a lack of opportunities to be causal agents of their own lives. Despite the importance of this construct, there is not enough tools available to evaluate self-determination and offer useful information to prepare specific intervention plans. The aim of this work is to develop an objective assessment scale of self-determination for young people and adults with intellectual disabilities. Conducting a Delphi study with all the agents involved (professionals, family members and people with disabilities) allowed us to create a wide pool of items that were then applied to 165 participants. Data show that this scale has empirical evidences of validity and reliability that guarantees the importance of continuing this line of research.