Adaptation of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS):a new tool to assess functional changes in people with Down syndrome.

Abstract

Functional decline in activities of daily living (ADL) is considered a marker of ageing and Alzheimer's disease. However, there is a lack of performance-based instruments specifically designed to assess ADL in adults and older adults with Down syndrome.

Objective: To describe the adaptation process of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS) to assess the functional capacity of adults with Down syndrome.

Methods: The Direct Assessment of Functional Status-Brazilian Version (DAFS-BR) was administered to 15 adults with Down syndrome (nine men and six women) who were divided into two diagnostic groups: stable cognition and suspected dementia or cognitive impairment. The process was conducted in two phases: phase one was characterized by an adaptation in the tasks. In phase two, (cultural and semantic) equivalences were verified, as well as structural aspects, including layout and instructions. This phase was essential for verifying the applicability and comprehensibility of newly adapted tasks.

Results: The DAFS-BR was adapted for the time orientation, communication (telephone use), moneyhandling skills, and shopping skills domains, considering the target population.

Conclusion: The adaptation process of the DAFS-BR for people with Down syndrome was made considering linguistic, psychological, and cultural idiosyncrasies in the target population, with the input of experts with relevant experience in each domain. After psychometric studies, the Direct Assessment of Functional Status-Down Syndrome (DAFS-DS) could be considered the first ecological instrument for evaluating functional status in adults with Down syndrome in Brazil to enhance both clinical practice and research.