The Methodological Characteristics of an Independent Living Skills Assessment Form for Adolescents in Placement

Due to a recent upsurge in interest over the success of preparing state supervised youth for independent living, New York State has revised the majority of its regulations concerning how adolescents in placement should be prepared for independent living. The new regulations require that all adolescents in placement, fourteen years of age and over, have their independent living skills periodically assessed. The present research study examined a 140 item inventory, designed to measure the independent living skills of adolescents in placement, in terms of its internal consistency and concurrent validity. In this study 210 subjects, who resided in either the group home or Residential Treatment Center level of care, were individually administered the 140-item Independent Living Skills Inventory for Adolescents (ILSFA). Subjects also had their global independent living skills independently appraised by their social workers. Based on New York State’s dictates concerning independent living skills, a 7-Factor Model was investigated in terms of identifying practical constructs. Principal Component Analyses, item analyses, and internal consistency analyses were used to develop a 44-item instrument with 2- Factors. This instrument measures information with face validity in the areas of Job Finding and Maintenance, Budgeting, Housecleaning, and Cooking/Care of Food/Nutrition