Are there restrictions on who can purchase and use the DEMENTIA SCALE FOR DOWN SYNDROME (DSDS) ?

Yes. Only psychologists and psychometrists are permitted to use this psychological assessment tool. Only psychologists/psychometrists with university training in standardized testing and with experience in administering intelligence tests are qualified to purchase and use the DSDS. It is a very serious clinical decision to diagnose someone with dementia. It is additionally important to look for differential diagnoses when cognitive impairment presents and to consider possible reversible causes for cognitive decline. Although some physicians, psychiatrists, and nurses are experienced in the area of dementia, their training does not include using standardized instruments for assessing intelligence. The assessment of intelligence - or a decline in intelligence - is especially crucial when working with adults who were already below average intellectually before the onset of cognitive decline.

I'm a psychiatrist in the field of Developmental Disabilities, and I want to purchase the DSDS. Is that OK?

Sorry, no. See the answer to Question 1.

Are there any restrictions on who can purchase the Behavioural Diagnostic Guide ?

No. In fact, it has been very useful to those not permitted to buy the DSDS.

Can I pay using a VISA or Mastercard credit card ?

Sorry, no credit cards accepted, only checks, money orders, and bank drafts.

Can I pay by wiring money to your bank account ?

No. Please send a money order, bank draft or check for payment.

What happens if I send in an order for the DSDS without signing and sending in the Purchaser Qualification Form (PQForm)?

The order will not be processed until the psychologist/psychometrist who will be using the DSDS agrees to the conditions for use by signing and faxing/mailing in the PQForm.

Do bookstores sell the DSDS or the Behavioral Diagnostic Guide for DD ?

The DSDS is not sold to Bookstores but only to psychologists and psychometrists. Bookstores can order the Behavioral Diagnostic Guide for DD, but it is just as easy for you to order it yourself directly from the author. The price is not less by going through a bookstore. Everyone gets a 20% discount for ordering 5 or more books!

I've found another Canadian site that sells the DSDS to psychologists. Why it is more expensive that way ?

That distributor first pays the same price as do psychologists who buy the DSDS Booklets and Manual directly from the author. Then that distributor adds its own costs to the price they charge.

Is the DSDS for sale in other languages ?

Yes, the DSDS in FRENCH is available for psychologists using forms from this webiste. There is a dementia scale in Dutch by epidemiologist Dr. Marian Maaskant and educational specialist Dr. Joop Hoekman that uses the test items and differential diagnostic questions from the Dementia Scale for Down Syndrome (DSDS) ©. A. Gedye 1995 by prior agreement. However, that Dutch scale has many significant clinical differences from Dr. Gedye's DSDS and none of those changes was ever approved by Dr. Gedye. The Dutch scale is not a translation of the DSDS and is NOT a substitute for the DSDS. (The title of the Dutch scale is: "Dementieschaal voor mensen met een verstandelijke handicap".)

When did the prices last change for the DSDS and the Behavioral Diagnostic Guide for DD ?

The prices of the clinical book and test materials were reduced May 2012.