Validation of the German version of the DSQIID in adults with intellectual disabilities.

The team translated the Dementia Screening Questionnaire for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities into German.

They gave the 53-item form to the adults with ID. Half already had a dementia diagnosis, half did not.

Each person was rated by two carers. The researchers then checked which total score best split the two groups.

A score of 9 or higher caught 94 % of the dementia cases.

It also correctly ruled out 72 % of the non-dementia cases.

No other cutoff gave a better balance of sensitivity and specificity for this German sample.

Nevin et al. (2005) showed the DC-LD helped find new psychiatric labels in Irish charts, but 72 % still ended up with vague "other" diagnoses. Daria et al. now give you a sharper dementia cut-point, moving beyond those broad leftovers.

Smith et al. (2010) tested moral-judgment tools in men with ID and warned that poor test-retest can sink a scale. Daria’s team did not retest, so you still need to check if the DSQIID-G stays stable over time.

Mulder et al. (2020) trimmed items from autism screens for people with fragile X and still saw imperfect accuracy. Daria kept every original DSQIID item; keeping the full set is what let the German version keep its high sensitivity.

If you support German-speaking adults with ID, you now have a quick carer checklist. A total of 9 or more means "screen further for dementia." It is not a diagnosis, but it tells you when to refer on and when to rule out.