The SEAS Outcome Measure

The Self-reported Experiences of Activity Settings (SEAS) is a self-report measure that asks youth with and without disabilities about their experiences of recreational or leisure activities they take part in. “Activity settings” are places in which people do things (King, Rigby, & Batorowicz, 2013).

The SEAS is a valid and reliable outcome measure that provides information about how youth think and feel about the activities they do. It gives them a voice. There are two versions of the measure, one of which can be used for youth who use alternative and augmentative ways of communication (AAC).

Why do we need the SEAS measure?

We need the SEAS because we need to be able to ask youth with and without disabilities, including those who use other ways to communicate, about what they think and feel about their experiences of activities they do at home and in their community.

How was the SEAS measure developed?

Items for the SEAS were generated from constructs gleaned from reviews of the literatures on topics like youth experiences of organized activity settings and environments, the meaning of participation and the nature of optimal environments. The number of items was reduced by the research team, and then the final set of items were shared with five experts with backgrounds in developmental psychology, augmentative and alternative communication, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Youth then provided feedback on wording and items to remove.

The SEAS was then tested with three samples of youth, aged 13-23 years: 10 youth with severe disabilities, 12 youth without disabilities, and 23 youth with disabilities.

How do I administer the SEAS measure?

Youth complete the SEAS themselves, although they can complete it with help if needed. The individual should have done an activity for at least 15 minutes before completing the SEAS.

Reference:

King, G., Rigby, P., & Batorowicz, B. (2013). Conceptualizing participation in context for children and youth with disabilities: An activity setting perspective. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(18), 1578-1585. doi:10.3109/09638288.2012.748836