Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of the Sensory Integration Clinical Observations

Abstract

Aims

The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Sensory Integration Clinical Observations.

Methods

Clinical observations were administered by trained occupational therapists (recent graduates to 40 years of experience, median = 3 years) to 20 children aged 4 – 12 years. Testing was completed again on 16 children after an average of 2.5 weeks. Inter-rater therapists scored the measure from video recordings. Total score and section scores (i.e. Postural-Ocular, Motor Planning – Fine Motor, Vestibular Processing, and Praxis and Coordination) were obtained.

Results

Intraclass correlations found test-retest reliability of total score to be excellent (ICC=.95) and section scores to be acceptable (ICC = .79-.94). Inter-rater reliability was also excellent for total score (ICC-.94) and section scores (ICC=.84-.96).

Conclusions

The Sensory Integration Clinical Observations can be administered reliably by multiple raters of varying levels of experience and results are stable over an average two-week interval. Good inter-rater reliability serves as a first step toward demonstration of consistency of administration and scoring of the Sensory Integration Clinical Observations. These findings may begin to establish a foundation for use of clinical observations to measure change in sensory-motor performance over time, although further research is needed.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• reliability
• sensory processing
• sensory integration
• observations

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the parents and children who participated in this project and the therapists at OTA The Koomar Center for their assistance with recruitment. We would also like to thank the following occupational therapists for their assistance with this project: Ramangi Aras, Robyn Carreras, May Chou, Abbey Craig, Olivia Easterbrooks-Dick, Erin Flynn, Cristin Holland, Diane Maxson, and Pranjali Savla. A poster on this study was presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, April 2018. This study received no specific financial support.

Disclosure statement

Dr. May-Benson is the author of the Sensory Integration Clinical Observations but receives no royalties for the publication.

Additional information

Funding

This study received no specific funds from either public or not-for-profit sources.

Notes on contributors

Teresa A. May-Benson

Teresa A. May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA is the Executive Director of the Spiral Foundation as well as a practicing occupational therapist at OTA The Koomar Center. She is a well-known lecturer and researcher on sensory integration theory and intervention. She has authored numerous of book chapters and articles on praxis and sensory integration.

Alison Teasdale

Alison Teasdale, BSc is the Spiral Foundation’s Administrative Coordinator and Senior Research Assistant. She has a degree in applied statistics from Sheffield Hallam University and is responsible for participant recruitment for all Spiral research. She also provides administrative support for the Spiral Foundation’s Institutional Review Board.