MetaTOC stay on top of your field, easily

The Sheffield Learning Disabilities Outcome Measure: a factor analysis

, ,

Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Published online on

Abstract

--- - |2+ Background The Sheffield Learning Disabilities Outcome Measure (SLDOM) is routinely used across clinical services in the UK, despite not yet showing evidence of psychometric reliability or validity. However, it is reported that the SLDOM demonstrates good face validity, and represents a valuable tool for providing useful information around the parent‐child relationship in the context of having a child with a Learning Disability (LD). Method This study involved 263 parents or carers of a child with LD who completed the SLDOM. Data from this study were subjected to factor analysis. Results These findings suggest that the SLDOM could be viewed as a tool that measures two concepts: (1) internal factors central to the parent/carer in relation to having a child with LD and (2) external factors in terms of the context and environment surrounding a child with LD. To our knowledge, this study is one of the first to investigate the psychometric properties of the SLDOM. Conclusions This has implications in terms of building evidence to support the clinical and research use of this tool; to provide evidence‐based clinical services, and overall, to gain a better understanding of patients and their families, which will allow for optimum service provision. - Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Volume 23, Issue 3, Page 164-168, September 2018.