Psychometric properties of the Arabic Family Support Scale for families of children and youth with cerebral palsy in Jordan

Abstract

Background Knowledge about family support systems available for Jordanian families of children with cerebral palsy (CP) is limited due to the lack of culturally valid measures of family support. The psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Family Support Scale (A-FSS) were examined.Methods Parents of 115 children with CP who were receiving services at different settings in Jordan were interviewed using the A-FSS.Results Spouse and professional helpers were rated as the most helpful sources of support, whereas early childhood intervention programs and social groups were the least helpful. A valid structure of the A-FSS was presented for Jordanian families of children with CP with an acceptable level of internal consistency.Conclusions The A-FSS is a valid and reliable measure of family support for Jordanian families of children with CP. Service providers are encouraged to use A-FSS with families to explore options for using sources of support to cope with their children's disability.