Parental Satisfaction with Caregiving for Children with Developmental Disabilities: Development of a New Assessment Tool

Parents of children with developmental disabilities face many challenges. Those who are less satisfied with the care-giving that their children receive may require extra support. This paper reports the development of a Parental Satisfaction with Caring for a child with Developmental Disability Index (PSCDDI), with items derived from literature reviews and pilot testing in Iran. The index was field tested with 256 parents caring for children with a diagnosis of intellectual disability, autism, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and who were attending centres in four locations across Iran. A factor analysis of responses to the self-completion questionnaire identified two main factors, i.e., personal satisfaction and satisfaction with the child, with six items for each factor. The two factors had good internal consistency and reasonable test-retest reliability. Binary logistic regressions identified significant predictors of personal satisfaction that supported the validity of the scale.: Clinicians and service providers could use this scale as part of their assessment strategy to identify parents who may require additional support, especially those with teenage female children, and those with a diagnosis of autism or behavior problems.