Ask an Advisor Answers
Hello there! Thank you for reaching out. While we are not aware of a validated survey specifically focused on remote services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), there are several evidence-based practices that can help strengthen survey validity and reliability for this population.
We recommend reviewing resources from the National Core Indicators (NCI-IDD) project, which has extensive experience developing and testing surveys for people with IDD. Their work provides useful examples of accessible question design, interview protocols, and psychometric testing.
When developing your survey, consider:
• Using plain, concrete language and avoiding jargon or complex sentence structures.
• Asking about one idea at a time and using consistent response options.
• Involving self-advocates and individuals with lived experience in survey development and review.
• Conducting cognitive interviews or pilot testing with members of the target population to identify questions that may be confusing or interpreted differently than intended.
• Assessing reliability and consistency through pilot testing before full implementation.
For a survey on remote services, topics might include access to technology, ease of use, communication with providers, satisfaction with services, privacy, and preferences for remote versus in-person supports.
Two particularly helpful resources are the National Core Indicators (NCI-IDD) program and guidance on making survey research accessible for people with IDD from the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL).
We hope these suggestions are helpful and wish you success with your legislative report.