Psychometric properties of a sleep questionnaire for use in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The SQ-SP is a quick, reliable caregiver form that flags sleep disorders in clients with ID so you can treat rest issues before they stall behavior programs.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested a new sleep questionnaire made for people with intellectual disabilities. They asked caregivers to fill out the form about bedtime habits, snoring, and daytime sleepiness.
Researchers checked if the answers stayed the same when different people scored them. They also looked for five clear groups of sleep problems in the numbers.
What they found
The Sleep Questionnaire by Simonds and Parraga passed every test. Caregiver answers were steady, and the five sleep factors showed up strong.
The tool can now spot sleep apnea risk, loud snoring, and daytime tiredness in clients who cannot report these problems themselves.
How this fits with other research
Rojahn et al. (2012) and Tsakanikos et al. (2011) did the same kind of work for behavior scales. All three papers show short caregiver forms can be trusted for adults with ID.
Maciver et al. (2020) moved the idea into schools with teacher reports. The sleep study extends that line: if teachers can rate participation, caregivers can rate sleep.
No clash here—just more proof that brief proxy tools work when clients have limited verbal skills.
Why it matters
Poor sleep fuels problem behavior and learning plateaus, but clients with ID cannot tell you they are exhausted. Hand the SQ-SP to night staff or parents at intake. A quick screen tells you if a medical sleep referral is needed before you start a new behavior plan. Better rest equals better gains from your ABA program.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We examined the psychometric properties of one part of the Sleep Questionnaire developed by Simonds and Parraga (SQ-SP; 1982), a questionnaire that is frequently used to explore sleep problems and behaviors related to sleep in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). The SQ-SP was completed for 345 individuals with ID (sleep clinic n = 146; control group n = 103; published studies n = 68; psychiatric clinic n = 28). Internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α = .80) and test-retest reliability for the total SQ-SP score was also good (Spearman's rank correlation = .83, p<.01). Convergent validity was adequate (r = .79, p<.001) and concurrent validity was satisfactory (r = .52, p<.001). Exploratory factor analysis suggested a 5-factor structure (Snoring, Daytime sleepiness, Complaints related to sleep, Sleep apnea and Anxiety related to sleep). Internal consistency of the five factors ranged from modest (Cronbach's α = .57) to good (Cronbach's α = .82). Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the 5-factor structure. The Composite Sleep Index, the total SQ-SP score and the factor scores on Daytime Sleepiness and Complaints related to sleep were able to differentiate the control group from the sleep clinic group. The SQ-SP appears to be a reliable and valid tool in assessing sleep and different types of sleep disturbance in individuals with ID.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.013