Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD) in Caregivers of Individuals With ASD

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Parent activation is crucial for managing care, especially in developmental disorders.
• Adapting parent activation concepts for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires validated measurement tools.
• Understanding parental engagement is key to supporting children with developmental disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the psychometric properties of the Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD).
• To identify factors associated with parent activation in caregivers of children with ASD.
• To assess the suitability of the PAM-DD as a Guttman and unidimensional scale.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 658 caregivers of children with ASD.
• Utilized the Autism Treatment Network Registry Call Back Assessment study data.
• Employed factor analysis to explore the structure of the PAM-DD.

Main Results:

• The PAM-DD item ordering did not align with Guttman scaling assumptions.
• Factor analysis identified two distinct factors within the PAM-DD.
• Lower child symptom severity correlated with higher Factor 1 activation and lower Factor 2 activation.

Conclusions:

• The PAM-DD is not a unidimensional scale and caution is advised when applying Guttman scaling principles.
• Two key dimensions of parent activation were identified in caregivers of children with ASD.
• Further research should consider the multidimensional nature of the PAM-DD for accurate assessment.