The Family-Centred Practices Scale: Psychometric properties of the Spanish version for use with families with children with Down syndrome receiving early childhood intervention.
María Auxiliadora Robles-Bello, David Sánchez-Teruel
PMID 35048415WHAT IT FOUND
For Spanish families of children with Down syndrome, a shortened 10-item version of the Family-Centred Practices Scale fits better than the original 12-item version.
However, mothers and fathers interpret the questions differently, so scores cannot be directly compared between parents.
Key findings
01A 10-item version of the scale, with two problematic items removed, showed a better fit to the data than the original 12-item structure.
02The scale did not demonstrate measurement invariance by gender, indicating that fathers and mothers understand the items differently.
03The shortened scale showed adequate internal consistency for both the total score and its two subscales (relational and participatory practices).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample from three centres in southern Spain, so the results may not apply to other regions or populations. The six-month follow-up occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced parents' perceptions and responses due to increased online involvement. The scale was validated only for families of children with Down syndrome, so it may not work the same way for families of children with other disabilities. The lack of gender invariance means the scale cannot be used to directly compare perceptions between mothers and fathers.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and there was no funding for this study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a difference in scores between a mother and a father reflects a difference in how the service treated them. The study found that the scale is not invariant by gender, meaning mothers and fathers interpret the questions differently, so their scores are not directly comparable.