The Utility and Psychometric Properties of the Abel-Blasingame Assessment System for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

This article describes the development and utility of the Abel-Blasingame Assessment System for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ABID) for assessment of sexual interest and problematic sexual behaviors. The study examined the preliminary psychometric properties and evaluated the clinical utility of the ABID based on a sample of 495 male adults with intellectual disabilities and/or developmental delays. The study examined (a) length of assessment time; (b) the ability of test takers to distinguish between gender and between 4 age groups; (c) whether the ABID has internal consistency within the cognitive distortions, social desirability scale, and fantasy vignettes items; (d) the criterion validity of the ABID to detect sustained sexual interest in children; and (e) whether the use of the ABID questionnaire as a structured clinical interview increases awareness of information about an individual's maladaptive behaviors important for treatment planning. The findings regarding these areas are discussed as well as the limitations of the tool in assessing individuals with intellectual disabilities.