Validation of a Scale to Assess Activities of Daily Living at Home in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Daily living skills may affect repetitive behavior patterns in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to validate a scale to assess activities of daily living at home (SAADL) in children and adolescents with ASD. Content validity by expert judgment showed Aiken V values between 0.75 and 0.88. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed factor loadings (0.62 to 0.89) and high communalities. The % explanation of variance for dimension 1 (personal care) was 51.5% and for dimension 2 (mobility in the home) was 66.3%. The Cronbach's reliability was 0.87 and the retest values reflected high values of precision and accuracy. The SAADL is valid and reliable and can be used to assess activities of daily living of self-care and mobility at home.