Parenting and family adjustment scales (PAFAS): validation of a brief parent-report measure for use with families who have a child with a developmental disability.
PAFAS gives you a fast, valid snapshot of parenting style and family stress in families of kids with developmental disabilities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked 373 parents of kids with autism, ID, or other delays to fill out the 27-item PAFAS form. They ran a confirmatory factor analysis to see if the brief checklist truly measures two parenting factors and two family-adjustment factors.
Kids averaged 6 years old. Most families were recruited through early-intervention agencies in Australia.
What they found
The four-factor model fit the data well. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.81–0.89 across subscales, showing solid internal consistency.
PAFAS scores also lined up as expected with longer, well-known parenting and stress measures, giving evidence of validity.
How this fits with other research
Like Dupuis et al. (2021) with the ABAS-II, this study shows a short parent questionnaire can stand in for longer clinical tools without losing accuracy. Both papers support front-loading brief forms to save time.
The 27-item count matches Cheves et al. (2026)’s OWLS-ID, but PAFAS is for parents of young children while OWLS-ID is a self-report for adults with ID. Same length, different reporter and construct—showing the field is converging on 25-30 items as the sweet spot for disability checklists.
Older tools such as the Reiss Screen (P et al., 1995) and Vineland (Annelies et al., 2005) also show strong psychometrics, yet they take longer and focus on adaptive or maladaptive behavior. PAFAS extends this line by adding parenting style and family adjustment in one quick form.
Why it matters
You now have a 5-minute, free parent scale that is statistically sound for kids with ASD or ID. Use it during intake, reassessment, or after parent-training to track changes in discipline practices and family stress without eating session time.
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Join Free →Hand the 27-item PAFAS to your next parent before session; score in under 5 minutes and pick the lowest-scoring parenting subdomain to target first.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with a developmental disability are three to four times more likely than their typically developing peers of developing significant emotional and behavioural problems. There is strong evidence to suggest that individual biological and psychological factors interact with family functioning to precipitate and perpetuate these problems. AIMS: This study examined the psychometric properties of a brief measure, the Parent and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS) for use with parents of children with a developmental disability. METHODS: A sample of 914 parents of children (M=6.27years) with a developmental disability participated in the study. Disabilities included Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis supported a 16-item, four factor model of PAFAS Parenting, and an 11-item, three factor model of PAFAS Family Adjustment. The Parenting Scale measures parental consistency, coercive practices, use of encouragement and the quality of parent-child relationship. The Family Adjustment Scale measures parental emotional adjustment and partner and family support in parenting. CONCLUSIONS: The current study indicated that the PAFAS demonstrates promise as a brief measure of multiple domains of family functioning important for families who have a child with a developmental disability.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.10.011