Psychometric Properties of the Simons Simplex Collection Sleep Interview

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sleep problems affect a significant majority of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ranging from 40% to 80%.
• The Simons Simplex Collection Sleep Interview (SSCSI) is a parent-reported tool designed to evaluate sleep disturbances and their impact on daily functioning in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal factorial model of the SSCSI for characterizing sleep issues in children aged 4-18 years with ASD.
• To validate the structure of the SSCSI for use in research and clinical settings involving children with autism.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal component analysis and promax rotation was employed.
• The analysis began with 16 items and was refined to a 10-item scale.
• The EFA was conducted on the full sample and subsequently on prepubertal (4-8 years), pubertal (9-13 years), and postpubertal (14-18 years) subgroups.

Main Results:

• The EFA resulted in a 10-item scale, along with age and regular sleep duration, organized into three distinct factors: nighttime problems, daytime problems, and sleep duration problems.
• This three-factor structure was consistent across the entire sample and within the different age-related subgroups.
• The refined SSCSI provides a structured approach to understanding the multifaceted nature of sleep difficulties in children with ASD.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified a three-factor model for the SSCSI, offering a clearer framework for assessing sleep problems in children with ASD.
• Further research is recommended to confirm these findings through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Additional validation studies, including test-retest reliability and convergent validity testing, are necessary to fully establish the psychometric properties of the refined SSCSI.