Scientific Research Panel 304D Reliability of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire–Teacher Version

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the initial psychometric properties of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire–Teacher Version (PSEQ–TV). The research question was, What is the reliability of the PSEQ–TV? Subquestions included the following: What are the independent factors being measured by the items in the assessment? What is the dimensionality of the assessment? What is the test–retest reliability of the assessment?

The PSEQ–TV is a teacher-report questionnaire focused on exploring the impact of the sensory environment of the preschool on participation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD often have differences in the areas of sensory processing, although these are commonly explored from the person standpoint (Smith Roley et al., 2015). The PSEQ–TV provides a valuable tool to examine participation and the environment within one instrument (Bedell et al., 2011; Forsyth & Jarvis, 2002). Specifically, the sensory environment is the focus of this assessment, which provides a method to identify barriers to participation. Occupational therapy practitioners can use this information and the Person–Environment–Occupation Model to structure the environment to increase participation of preschool students with ASD.

METHOD: The study was a quantitative reliability study with exploratory factor analysis. Participants were 103 preschool teachers recruited via social media postings, postings on early childhood education websites, and email. Inclusion criteria were preschool teachers who worked with at least one child aged 3–5 with a diagnosis of ASD. Participants represented 27 states and four countries.

Participants completed an online version of the PSEQ–TV that was housed online in PsychData (State College, PA). Twenty participants also completed the assessment a second time to gather information for test–retest reliability. Classical test theory using exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the unidimensionality of the instrument. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine internal consistency and intraclass correlation coefficient to determine test–retest reliability.

RESULTS: An exploratory factor analysis revealed six factors that accounted for 65% of the variance. Internal consistency was .98, indicating excellent reliability. Seven items had poor factor loading, and six of these were removed from the final version of the assessment. Test–retest reliability was .68 for the original instrument and .70 for the final version with items removed. Length of time for assessment completion averaged 10–20 min.

CONCLUSION: The PSEQ–TV is a reliable instrument with adequate test–retest reliability. Future testing of the final version will provide additional information to generate a complete instrument that can be used to assess the sensory environment and participation in preschool settings with other populations.

IMPACT STATEMENT: The PSEQ–TV provides a reliable assessment for occupational therapy practitioners to use under the Person–Environment–Occupation Model to identify sensory environmental barriers and modify or remove those barriers to increase participation. This study aligns with the research priority set out by the American Occupational Therapy Association to establish psychometrically sound assessments that simultaneously examine the person and the environment within context.

References

Bedell, G. M., Khetani, M. A., Cousins, M. A., Coster, W. J., & Law, M. C. (2011). Parent perspectives to inform development of measures of children’s participation and environment. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 92, 765–773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2010.12.029

Forsyth, R., & Jarvis, S. (2002). Participation in childhood. Child: Care, Health and Development, 28, 277–279. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00272.x

Smith Roley, S., Mailloux, Z., Parham, L. D., Schaaf, R. C., Lane, C. J., & Cermak, S. (2015). Sensory integration and praxis patterns in children with autism. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6901220010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2015.012476