Scale of Emotional Development – Short: reliability and validity in adults with intellectual disability

Abstract Background Intellectual disability (ID) is often associated with delays in emotional development (ED). The Scale of Emotional Development – Short (SED‐S) was developed to assess the level of ED and to adapt treatment and care accordingly. Methods In a sample of 724 adults from five study sites in three countries, a confirmatory factor analysis with a one‐factor model was conducted on the entire dataset as well as in different subgroups. Furthermore, internal consistency was investigated using Cronbach's alpha. Results The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a single‐factor model fits the SED‐S data well. The subgroup analyses revealed good model fit, regardless of the severity of ID and irrespective of sex or the presence of autism spectrum disorder or psychiatric disorders. Internal consistency was excellent for the entire sample (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93) and various subgroups (0.869–0.938). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the SED‐S is psychometrically sound and can be used to assess the level of ED in adults with ID.