DASH-II
Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH-II)
The DASH-II is a psychopathology assessment questionnaire intended for people with severe to profound intellectual disability. It is completed by a relative, a caregiver or a professional who knows the person being assessed well. The tool explores 13 clinical domains, including anxiety, depression, mania, autism, schizophrenia, stereotypies, self-injury, sleep, eating and elimination disorders, and impulse control. In clinical practice, it helps the psychologist identify symptoms that are often difficult to verbalize, structure the interview, objectively document the frequency, duration and severity of the observed behaviors, and then guide the diagnostic assessment and follow-up. It is a screening and clinical decision-support tool, not a diagnosis in itself.
- Number of questions
- 84 questions
- Estimated duration
- 15 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped
- Target audience
- Severe/profound ID
- Authors
- Johnny L. Matson, Wilkins I. Gardner, David A. Coe, Robert Sovner (1995)
Scoring & interpretation
Each item is rated on three dimensions (frequency, duration and severity), generally on a scale from 0 to 2 based on the respondent's recent observations. Scores are summed by subscale. Interpretation relies on cutoffs specific to each domain. For several main subscales, clinical identification is based on a frequency score exceeding the reference cutoff in the manual. For some behavioral subscales, the presence of at least one item rated as clinically significant in severity may be enough to flag a problem to be explored. The results must be cross-checked with the clinical interview, developmental history, medical data and environmental context.
What psychologists think
No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this questionnaire.
Clarity and comprehension
—Are the test's instructions and questions easy for patients to understand?
Clinical relevance
—Does the test measure what it's meant to measure, and is it useful in a clinical setting?
Perceived reliability of the results
—Do the results seem reliable and consistent in their interpretation?
This assessment tool will be added to the platform in about 6 months
Every week, we add a new questionnaire based on your needs. Your vote helps us prioritize the most requested tests.
The more votes a questionnaire gets, the sooner it becomes available.