Preferences in individuals with Angelman syndrome assessed by a modified Choice Assessment Scale.

Background Individuals with Angelman syndrome (AS) seem to have a strong preference for water-related items. Until present, preference assessment in AS has not been reported. Methods An adapted Dutch version of the Choice Assessment Scale (CAS) was administered by parents and other caregivers to 105 individuals with AS. The CAS was adapted by adding several items related to water and by adding a sub-scale describing activities and materials that individuals may avoid or escape. Results The five sub-scales and total scale of the modified CAS had good internal consistency. Water-related items were more often scored as preferred than non-water-related items. No associations were found between sub-scale and total scale scores and demographic characteristics (e.g. genetic subtype, age). Conclusions This study shows that people with AS often have strong preferences for water-related items. The modified CAS is a reliable and sensitive instrument to assess client preferences.