Confirming the Tripartite Factor Structure of the Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale

Adaptive behavior is an essential criterion in defining intellectual disability. All three major diagnostic systems (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental isabilities [AAIDD], Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [5th ed. text revision], and International Classification of Diseases [11th ed.]) conceptualize adaptive behavior as consisting of three domains: conceptual, social, and practical skills. Few of the existing standardized adaptive behavior measures were constructed using this tripartite conceptual model of adaptive behavior. The Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS) was developed and validated using this tripartite model of adaptive behavior. This article summarizes the results of a confirmatory factor analysis that confirmed the tripartite model of the DABS and provided support that the DABS is a reliable measure to assess conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. The estimated internal consistency for the conceptual, social, and practical skill domains assessed on the DABS ranged from .97 to .99, indicating excellent levels of reliability.