Development and Validation of the Digital Literacy Scale for Students with Developmental Disabilities

This study aimed to develop and validate a scale for measuring the digital literacy of students with developmental disabilities, following a systematic five-stage process. First, components of the scale were categorized, and initial items were derived by analyzing published literature and measurement tools. Second, the initial items were refined, and new items were developed through in-depth interviews. Third, content validity was examined via two sets of Delphi survey. Fourth, a preliminary survey assessed the clarity of items and response formats. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis of the main survey data was conducted to finalize factors and items, evaluating construct validity and reliability. The main survey involved 161 elementary special education teachers, and statistical analysis was performed on data from 297 elementary students with developmental disabilities. As a result, the “DIgital LIteracy Scale for Students with Developmental Disabilities”(DILIS-SDD) was developed, comprising eight sub-factors with 36 items: digital device operation (five items), digital device utilization (four items), accessing and utilizing online information (nine items), creating and utilizing digital content (four items), digital communication skills (four items), adherence to rules (four items), protection of personal information (four items), and copyright protection (two items). The scale demonstrated satisfactory fit, with TLI and CFI values near acceptable thresholds, and met criteria for convergent and discriminant validity, with high reliability of .907 Cronbach’s α. This study contributes to the field by providing a valid and reliable tool enabling teachers to assess and support the digital literacy of students with developmental disabilities. Moreover, it offers a timely resource for addressing digital disparities in the AI era by facilitating the diagnosis of foundational digital literacy skills, the selection of educational content, and the evaluation of progress for all individuals with developmental disabilities.