Concurrent Validity of the School Outcomes Measure (SOM) and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) in Preschool-Age Children

ABSTRACT

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of the School Outcomes Measure (SOM) compared with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) in preschool-age children. This study also examined the consistency of children's motor performance across the home and school settings. Methods: Five school-based physical therapists collected data on 44 preschool-age children with physical or combined physical and cognitive disability. Correlation coefficients analyzed the strength of association between SOM and PEDI subscale scores, while participant group mean scores analyzed agreement between measures regarding level of motor performance. Results: Correlations between homologous PEDI and SOM subscale scores varied from r_s = .53 to r_s = .92 supporting concurrent validity. With some exceptions, group mean SOM scores showed agreement with group mean PEDI scores when children were categorized by age, gross motor function level, or PEDI cutoff score (1 or 2 SD below the mean). Conclusions: The results partially support concurrent validity between the SOM and PEDI, and suggest that the children's motor performance was similar across home and school settings. The findings also suggest that as a minimal database the SOM can reliably assess motor performance in the school setting; the disadvantage is difficulty interpreting SOM scores.

KEYWORDS. :

• child performance
• concurrent validity
• outcomes measures
• pediatric evaluation of disability inventory
• school-based therapy
• school outcomes measure