Abstract
Objective: To evaluate item-factor structures of the 15 sensory items from the Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services (Pathways) and examine the best fitting model.
Methods: The study subjects were 1,968 children aged 6-17 years, who had ever been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Intellectual Disability (ID). Factor analyses and item response theory models
were used to determine the best fitting item-factor structure of the sensory items. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) was used to test the concurrent validity of the sensory severity estimates.
Results: A bifactor MIRT model (a general and four sensory factors) was selected as the best fitting model. All items statistically fitted to the bifactor model (
p > .01) and showed moderate correlations with all five subscales
of the SDQ (rs = .31 ~.51, p < .0001). The general sensory score differentiated the four different diagnosticgroups (ASD, ID, ASD with ID, and no current symptoms) [F (3,1961) = 207.4, p < .0001].
Conclusion: The Pathways sensory items yielded reliable estimates of the general and each corresponding sensory factor by applying a bifactor MIRT model. The sensory score can be used as a valid sensory measure in the population survey.
Methods: The study subjects were 1,968 children aged 6-17 years, who had ever been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Intellectual Disability (ID). Factor analyses and item response theory models
were used to determine the best fitting item-factor structure of the sensory items. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) was used to test the concurrent validity of the sensory severity estimates.
Results: A bifactor MIRT model (a general and four sensory factors) was selected as the best fitting model. All items statistically fitted to the bifactor model (
p > .01) and showed moderate correlations with all five subscales
of the SDQ (rs = .31 ~.51, p < .0001). The general sensory score differentiated the four different diagnosticgroups (ASD, ID, ASD with ID, and no current symptoms) [F (3,1961) = 207.4, p < .0001].
Conclusion: The Pathways sensory items yielded reliable estimates of the general and each corresponding sensory factor by applying a bifactor MIRT model. The sensory score can be used as a valid sensory measure in the population survey.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 167-182 |
| Journal | Korean Journal of Occupational Therapy |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Autism spectrum disorders,
- Intellectual disorders, Sensory responsiveness, Sensory seeking, Sensory sensitivity