Development of the fear survey for adults with mental retardation.

The team built a new fear checklist for adults with intellectual disability. They called it the Fear Survey for Adults with Mental Retardation (FSAMR).

Fifty-nine adults with mild or moderate ID answered the 74-item survey. Staff also rated the same adults’ fears so the researchers could compare the two views.

The FSAMR scored high on internal consistency (α = .94). That means the items hang together well.

Self-ratings and staff-ratings matched moderately (r = .52). Adults could report their own fears, and the new tool caught them reliably.

Cryan et al. (1996) showed that kids with ID report more intense and “younger” fears than typical peers. Z et al. now give us an adult tool that captures those same fear patterns later in life.

Johnson et al. (1994) proved adults with mild–moderate ID can give steady self-reports on mood. The FSAMR extends that idea to the fear domain and keeps the same self-report method.

Kooijmans et al. (2024) later tweaked wording and layout to make surveys even easier. Their work supports the FSAMR goal: keep language simple so adults can answer without help.

You now have a quick, reliable fear checklist made for adults with ID. Use it during intake to spot phobias that might block day-program or job placement. A five-minute FSAMR screen can guide you to the right exposure plan before problem behavior starts.