Construction and psychometric properties of sexuality scales: sex knowledge, experience, and needs scales for people with intellectual disabilities (SexKen-ID), people with physical disabilities (SexKen-PD), and the general population (SexKen-GP).
The SexKen-ID scale gives BCBAs a reliable way to assess and track sexual knowledge in adults with mild intellectual disability.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built three new sexuality scales. One for adults with intellectual disability. One for adults with physical disability. One for the general public.
They tested each scale on its target group. They checked if questions were clear. They measured reliability and validity.
What they found
All three scales passed the psychometric tests. The SexKen-ID scale for people with intellectual disability showed good reliability and validity.
The scales can now be used to assess sexual knowledge, experience, and needs in clinical practice.
How this fits with other research
Xenitidis et al. (2010) later used the same SexKen-ID scale in practice. They found adults with ID who show sexualised challenging behaviour actually know more about sex, not less. This extends the 1999 work by showing how to interpret high scores.
Vassos et al. (2023) reviewed mental health measures for adults with ID. Their systematic review would include the SexKen-ID scale. They found only four tools had both reliability and validity evidence, highlighting why solid initial validation like Hagopian et al. (1999) matters.
Stuttard et al. (2014) found students with moderate to profound ID receive sex education at one-third the rate of peers with mild ID. The SexKen-ID scale gives teams a way to document unmet needs and advocate for equitable access.
Why it matters
You now have a free, validated tool to assess sexual knowledge, experience, and needs in adults with mild ID. Use it during intake to spot knowledge gaps that increase risk of exploitation or unintended pregnancy. Re-assess after teaching sessions to show progress in your data. The scale also helps justify sex education goals to funders and families who may think the topic is irrelevant for people with ID.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study reports on the development and assessment of the psychometric properties of three measures to assess sexual knowledge, experience, feelings, and needs. The first was designed to assess the Sexual Knowledge, Experience, Feelings, and Needs of people with mild intellectual disabilities (SexKen-ID). The two parallel measures were designed to assess the same areas of sexuality among people with physical disabilities (SexKen-PD) and among the general population (SexKen-GP). The areas of sexuality included in the scales were Friendship, Dating and Intimacy, Marriage, Body Part Identification, Sex and Sex Education, Menstruation, Sexual Interaction, Contraception, Pregnancy, Abortion and Child-birth, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Masturbation, and Homosexuality. Generation of the items in these scales is described in Studies 1-3. Study 4 describes the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scales. Sixty-six people with intellectual disabilities, 54 people with physical disabilities, and 100 people from the general population completed the scales. Test-retest reliabilities were also calculated with 30 people with intellectual disabilities, 30 people with physical disabilities, and 30 people from the general population. These data demonstrate the good psychometric properties of the scales and so their simitability for assessing the sexual knowledge, experience, feelings, and needs of people with disability.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1999 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(99)00007-4