Enduring Leisure Involvement and Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Validation of a Parent-Reported Involvement Scale

This study examined the validity and reliability of a parent-report instrument to measure enduring leisure involvement of children with autism spectrum disorder. Enduring leisure involvement is a connection to an activity occurring when there is congruence between individual needs and goals with values and attributes of the activity. Some individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders are able to report leisure involvement through self-report instruments, but others may not possess the necessary abilities. To provide a tool that does not require self-report, we examined whether standard parent report could capture the multidimensional nature of involvement. A 12-item adapted version of the Modified Involvement Scale was analyzed for factor structure and nomological validity. Three factors were extracted and labeled interest intensity, social bonding, and identity expression. These factors were positively associated with a behavioral marker of leisure activity. Implications for use of the instrument as an assessment tool to aid design of leisure-based interventions are discussed.