PHARM - Development of an Interpersonal Aggression Scale for People with Intellectual Disability

2007

The purpose of this project is to develop an informant-based scale for the measurement of the severity and/or frequency of interpersonal aggression among people with intellectual and developmental disability. An effort will be made to include scale items which reflect a broad range of topographies, including physical and verbal aggression, as well as hostile affect. We are attempting to incorporate a "reactive/proactive" domain as well. There are four objectives for this project as follows: (a) Develop a factor-analytically derived instrument for assessing common forms of aggression in children, adolescents, and adults with mental retardation; (b) Compute normative data for the subscales that are obtained, broken out by gender and age group; (c) Assess the interrater reliability of the subscales that are derived; and (d) Assess the validity of the instrument. Subjects will be among (a) individuals in community employment positions; (b) clients working in production areas* of sheltered workshops; (c) clients working in non-production areas in sheltered workshops; and (d) clients enrolled in day programs at living skills centers. We will also be sampling participants based on their residential situations as follows: (a) individuals living at home, independently or with parents or other relatives, (b) clients residing in supported living, (c) people living in group homes, and (d) participants residing in ICFMRs (intermediate care facilities?mental retardation). No more than 20% of our subjects will be residents of ICFMRs or enrollees of the Franklin County Board of MR/DD?s living skills centers. Subjects will be adults and adolescents no younger than eightteen years.

Performing Research or Evaluation

Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Health-Related Activities

Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN

Specific Groups

State

N/A