Assessing client-caregiver relationships and the applicability of the 'student-teacher relationship scale' for people with intellectual disabilities.
The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale is psychometrically sound for measuring closeness, conflict, and dependency in adult ID caregiver relationships.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Griffith et al. (2012) tested whether the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) works for adults with intellectual disability.
Caregivers filled out the same 28-item form teachers use with kids. The team checked if the three STRS factors—closeness, conflict, dependency—held up.
What they found
The three-factor structure stayed solid. Reliability and validity numbers were good.
The scale is now ready for use in adult ID services without changes.
How this fits with other research
Vassos et al. (2023) adapted two alliance scales for mild ID and also found a clean three-factor fit. Their study updates the STRS work by adding therapist and tech alliance angles.
Schaaf et al. (2015) built a brand-new teacher scale for attention problems in kids with ID. Like Griffith et al. (2012), they proved teacher ratings can be trusted, but for a different skill set.
Prasher et al. (1995) validated the Reiss Screen for behavior problems in adults. Both papers show caregiver-report tools can be psychometrically sound, yet one targets relationships and the other targets maladaptive behavior.
Why it matters
You now have a free, 28-item caregiver scale that measures relationship quality in adult day or residential programs. Use it at intake, after staff changes, or when behavior plans stall. A quick STRS score tells you if closeness is low or conflict is high—data you can act on with rapport-building procedures or staff coaching.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Improvements in client-caregiver relationships may lead to improvements in the quality of life of clients with intellectual disabilities (ID). For this reason, interventions aimed at influencing these relationships are important. To gain insight into the nature and intention of these relationships in the ID population, suitable measurement instruments are needed. This study examines the applicability of an existing relationship questionnaire designed for primary education, called the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) on the basis of the following research questions: (1) What is the factor structure of the STRS? (2) Are there associations between STRS scales and other conceptually comparable instruments? (3) Is the STRS reliable? The participants in this study were 46 caregivers, who assessed 350 client-caregiver relationships. Psychometric research was conducted into the factor structure (n=350), construct validity (n=146), internal consistency (n=350) and test-retest reliability (n=177) of the STRS and the reliability of the individual scores (n=350) among a study population of people with moderate and severe ID. The three-factor model of the STRS as used in primary education (1. closeness, 2. conflict, 3. dependency) was, despite minor deviations, also found in the ID population. Research into the construct validity of the STRS showed statistically significant correlations with other scales with which similarities could be expected. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the STRS in the population studied were very good. The 95% confidence intervals of the means were small, and these measurements can be regarded as reliable.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.08.027