ABSTRACT
This chapter is a comprehensive reference manual providing information on the Systeme de Mesure de l’Autonomie Fonctionnelle (SMAF), which can be administered at any time that a measurement of disability is required. The purpose of the SMAF “is to evaluate the needs of individuals by measuring the disabilities and handicaps with which they are afflicted”. The modified SMAF includes an intermediate level that “describes a subject who performs the activity independently but with difficulty”. The SMAF is explicitly based on the concepts of disability and handicap as embodied in the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument.
