TITLE:
Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence of Content Validity
AUTHORS:
Mariana Rodrigo do Vale Costa e Silva, Rauni Jandé Roama-Alves, Sylvia Maria Ciasca
KEYWORDS:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Self-Efficacy, Parents, Measure, Psychometry
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
18,
2022
ABSTRACT: The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires changes in the organization of the family routine and in the educational practices employed by their parents or caregivers, due to the characteristics of this condition. In this context, it is important to include them in the child’s treatment and development process, and, therefore, to assess the variables associated with specific parenting practices for ASD, with the construct of parental self-efficacy being one of the most relevant. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the evidence of content validity of the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale for Autism Spectrum Disorder (PSES-ASD). The methodological procedures consisted of analysis by expert judges (n = 5) and semantics with parents (n = 10). The first version of the PSES-ASD, which had 40 items, after analysis by judges and semantic analysis, became composed of 27, divided into five categories: basic needs and activities of daily living (five items), socialization (seven items), cognitive development (two items), structure and discipline (six items), and treatment/school care (seven items). The results of the analysis showed that the PSES-ASD items are clear, theoretical, and practically relevant, and adequate to the reality of parents of children with ASD. Therefore, it can be concluded that the PSES-ASD was successful in its construction and presented satisfactory content validity evidence according to the psychometric literature.