Psychometric evaluation of an instrument for assessing policy outcomes for families with children who have severe developmental disabilities: The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (BCFQLS) in a sample of families with children who have severe developmental disabilities. The study sought to determine whether or not the scale could be used to measure the quality of life of such families and to differentiate between the quality of life of two family groups---those whose child lives in the family home and those whose child lives outside the family home.The study used an observational, cross-sectional design and both qualitative and quantitative methods. Self-identified primary caregivers of 54 families with children who have severe developmental disabilities in the Tidewater, Virginia area completed three surveys and provided additional input for the purpose of assessing the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the BCFQLS as well as its face, content, and criterion validity when used with such families.The BCFQLS was found to be a fairly reliable and valid instrument for measuring the quality of life of individual families with children who have severe developmental disabilities and reside either in or outside the family home. Study limitations are identified and discussed, and suggestions for scale improvement and future research are provided.