The development and validation of a questionnaire on parental involvement in the transition from kindergarten to primary school for children with developmental disabilities in China

Background: At present, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments that can measure parental involvement in the transition from kindergarten to primary school of children with developmental disabilities (DD) in China. Aim: This study seeks to develop and validate the questionnaire on Parental Involvement in Transition from Kindergarten to Primary School (PITKPS) for children with DD in China. Methods: A total of 241 parents of children with DD participated in Study 1, and another 247 parents participated in Study 2. In study 1, we used item analysis and exploratory factor analysis to screen items and explore the factor structure of the PITKPS questionnaire. In study 2, three types of validity were examined: construct validity; convergent and discriminative validity; and criterion-related validity. Internal consistency was used to measure reliability. Results: The final version of the PITKPS questionnaire comprised 37 items that examined six factors. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the use of the six-factor model, and the results indicated that the questionnaire had good reliability and validity. Conclusions: The PITKPS questionnaire can be used as a valid tool to assess the involvement of Chinese parents in the transition from kindergarten to primary school of children with DD.