Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the parental competence scale for parents of children with autism

Background: Parental competence is an important concept in increasing the quality of care provided to individuals with special needs and the quality of life of parents. This study was aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Parental Competence Scale designed for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Method: This methodological study was conducted with 433 parents of children with autism between November 2021 and February 2023. Information Form, the Parental Competence Scale for Parents of Children with Autism, and the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale were used to collect the data. The data were assessed using content and construct validity, item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency. Guidelines for reporting reliability and agreement studies (GRRAS) were adhered to in the study. Findings: The content validity index of the scale was 0.93. Item-total score correlation values ranged from 0.338 to 0.846. As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, the two-factor structure of the scale consisting of 19 items was confirmed. Factor loads were >0.30 and fit indices were >0.80. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish version of the scale was 0.85, and the Cronbach's alpha values of its sub-dimensions were 0.71 and 0.79. Conclusion: The parental competence scale for parents of children with autism is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkey. Practice implications: Pediatric nurses, all health professionals, special education professionals and teachers can use this scale in interventional studies aiming to evaluate or improve the competencies of parents with autistic children in the future. (c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.