Choosing a measure of support need: implications for research and policy.
SIS and SIB-R measure the same support needs, so pick one and skip the other.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared two adult tools: the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) and the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R).
They wanted to know if both scales measure the same thing—support needs versus adaptive behavior—in adults with intellectual disability.
What they found
Strong correlations showed the scales tap the same underlying trait. Pick one; using both gives no new information.
How this fits with other research
Arnkelsson et al. (2014) later extended the SIS to adults with psychiatric disabilities and still found solid validity, so the tool travels beyond ID.
Rispoli et al. (2011) tried the Dutch SIS with adults who have only physical disabilities. They saw weak links to daily skills, hinting the scale works best when cognitive disability is present.
Chou et al. (2013) showed SIS scores can guide funding decisions in Taiwan, turning the same construct into real-world resource plans.
Why it matters
If you assess adults with ID, choose either SIS or SIB-R, not both. You will save time and avoid double billing. When you write reports, quote support-needs scores from one tool and move on to intervention planning.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The paradigm surrounding the delivery of care for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) is shifting from a deficit-based approach to a support-based approach. However, it is unclear whether measures of support act as a proxy for adaptive functioning. METHODS: A sample of 40 staff or family members of individuals with ID completed the Supports Intensity Scale and the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised, Short Form. Correlations were used to examine the relationship between these scales. RESULTS: The subscales of the Supports Intensity Scale as well as the overall support needs index were highly correlated with both the Broad Independence W score and the support score (which reflects both maladaptive and adaptive behaviours) of the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised. CONCLUSIONS: The strong correlations between these two scales confirm previous findings that current measures of support and measures of adaptive behaviour tap into the same underlying construct. These findings have implications for the development, use and interpretation of research and planning tools.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2009 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01216.x