Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® Praxis Tests: Construct Validity and Internal Reliability

Importance: Assessment of praxis using valid and reliable measures is important for understanding factors affecting occupational participation.Objective: To evaluate evidence of construct validity and internal reliability of data gathered with four newly developed praxis tests.Design: Comparative descriptive design. Setting: Homes, schools, and therapy practices across the United States.Participants: A control group consisting of 163 children without any concerns or diagnoses and a case group of 145 children with sensory integration difficulties, ages 3 to 12 yr.Outcomes and Measures: Rasch analyses to evaluate construct validity, and Student's t tests to evaluate group differences.Results: Total test scores and most item scores conformed to Rasch model expectations. Group differences were significant; the control group scored higher. Internal reliability was strong.Conclusions and Relevance: Findings support the validity and internal reliability of the four praxis tests.What This Article Adds: This study adds to the growing body of evidence for validity and reliability of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (R) tests.