Improving the validity of the PSNI in assessing the performance of deaf parents of hearing children.

The content validity of the Parental Strengths and Needs Inventory (PSNI) for evaluating the child-rearing performance of deaf adults was assessed by replicating and extending an earlier cross-sectional descriptive study. Three types of subjects--deaf parents, hearing offspring, and hearing grandparents--provided the research data. The interview responses of 15 parent-child dyads were triangulated with grandparent questionnaire responses to identify parental issues not tapped by the closed-ended PSNI format. The content validity of the PSNI in its present form was found to be inadequate for assessing the strengths and needs of deaf parents. Recommendations for modifying the PSNI for use with deaf parents of hearing children are advanced.