Table of Contents
The Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ClASP-ID) is a questionnaire for parents of people with intellectual disabilities, especially those with autism. It helps to identify anxiety in these individuals, even when they might also have pain or low mood. The scale was created based on research and interviews with clinicians and parents. It has 33 questions and was tested on parents of people with intellectual disabilities. The results showed four main factors, and the scale is reliable and valid.
Test Format:
Items are scored on a seven-point scale based on frequency of behaviours.
Source:
Adapted from: Mingins, Jessica Eliza, Tarver, Joanne, Pearson, Effie, Edwards, Georgina, Bird, Megan, Crawford, Hayley, Oliver, Chris, Shelley, Lauren, & Waite, Jane. (2024). Development and psychometric properties of the Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ClASP-ID). Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Vol 16(1). doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09554-9
| Anxiety | |
| 68. | We are unable to do ‘typical’ day to day activities because of the emotional distress that would cause him/her (e.g. holidays, visiting friends, going for meals, general days out) |
| 23. | Does he/she ever look very worried or anxious? |
| 69. | We are unable to do activities we used to do with the person I care for because of the emotional distress she/she would experience |
| 32. | Over the past month, have you noticed his/her face look tense? |
| 25. | Does he/she have an angry look on his/her face? |
| 12. | Does he/she appear restless or agitated? |
| 13. | Does he/she ever run away or hide from certain objects or situations? |
| 20. | Does he/she avoid (or try to avoid) certain objects or places? |
| 6. | Does he/she ever make negative or frustrated vocalizations? (e.g. whining, grumbling, growling, shouting, screaming) |
| 14. | Does he/she ever cover him/herself with a blanket or try to place a barrier between him/ herself and |
| others or a situation? | |
| 11. | Does he/she pace around the room? |
| 26. | Does he/she startle easily, or easily alarmed? |
| 17. | Does he/she ever freeze suddenly (stick to the spot) in response to specific situations? |
| Pain | |
| 35. | Over the past month, has his/her movements ever become jerky? |
| 28. | Over the past month, have you noticed increased or different leg movements? (e.g. restlessness, tense, |
| drawing legs up, jerking) | |
| 10. | Does he/she ever seem protective of a particular part of his/her body? (e.g. holding it, guarding it, flinching? ) |
| 21. | Does he/she ever take sharp intakes of breath or gasp? |
| 36. | Over the past month, has his/her lips ever become tight, pout or quiver? |
| 16 | Does he/she ever have watery eyes that is different from crying? |
| 19. | Does he/she ever grind his/her teeth? |
| 31. | Over the past month, have you noticed that he/she shakes or trembles? |
| 34. | Over the past month, has he/she been hitting, holding or touching a part of their body? |
| Low Energy/ Withdrawal | |
| 52. | Does he/she lack energy? |
| 53. | Does he/she get tired for no apparent reason? |
| 4. | Has he/she seemed withdrawn with ‘vacant’? |
| 60. | Is he/she spending more time asleep than usual? (e.g. not waking in the morning, sleeping during the day) |
| 45. | Has he/she lost interest in activities that he/she used to enjoy? |
| 61. | Is he/she quiet and spending time alone? |
| Consolability | |
| 66. | When the person I care for is distressed, I am able to calm or comfort him/her |
| 67. | When in certain preferred environments (e.g. home, their bedroom) the person I care for generally calm and relaxed |
| 65. | Removing the person I care for from a situation, or removing an item/object generally calms them down |
| 64. | Preparing him/her before things happen helps to reduce his/her distress |
Note. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale from “almost never” to “all the time” or “almost never” to “more than once a day.” Respondents are asked to report on the frequency of behaviours over the last one month.
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/clinical-anxiety-scale-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities/
Mohammed looti. "Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 3 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/clinical-anxiety-scale-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities/.
Mohammed looti. "Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/clinical-anxiety-scale-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/clinical-anxiety-scale-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Clinical Anxiety Scale for People with Intellectual Disabilities. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.