title: Psychometric evaluation of the Italian version of the AADS questionnaire: a caregiver-rated tool for the assessment of behavioral deficits and excesses in persons with intellectual disabilities and dementia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to verify the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the Assessment for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (AADS-I), the only available measure specifically designed to assess the frequency, management difficulties and impact on the quality of life (QoL) of positive and negative non-cognitive symptoms in persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) and dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  AADS-I was administered to professional carers of 63 aging ID individuals. We computed the internal consistency separately of the frequency, management difficulty and effect on the QoL subscales of Behavioral Excesses and Behavioral Deficits and their inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homogeneity of AADS-I was found to range from good to excellent: Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.77, 0.83 and 0.82, respectively for frequency, management difficulty and effect on the QoL of Behavioral Excesses, and 0.82, 0.76 and 0.79 of Behavioral Deficits. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between two independent carers were 0.67, 0.79 and 0.73 and 0.67, 0.67 and 0.67 for frequency, management difficulty and effect on the QoL of Behavioral Excesses and Deficits, respectively. Corresponding ICC for test-retest reliability were 0.80, 0.75, 0.78 and 0.70, 0.81, 0.81. Age, gender and typology of ID did not correlate with the AADS-I subscale scores, whereas the severity of ID related only with the frequency subscale of Behavioral Deficits. This subscale also correlated with the Dementia Questionnaire for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Behavioral deficits are more frequent in subjects with dementia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm the reliability and validity of the Italian version of AADS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care, Psychogeriatric Service, Local Health District of Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luc P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: De Vreese
authors.forename: Ulrico
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mantesso
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Bastiani
authors.forename: Annachiara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marangoni
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gomiero
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017028:Caregivers; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D008875:Middle Aged; D011364:Professional Practice; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating