A Modification to the Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play to Enhance Its Utility: Evaluation of Validity, Responsiveness, and Reliability

Rebecca M Molinini; Natalie A Koziol; Ketaki Inamdar; Claire Rhee; Arya Salgaonkar; Regina T Harbourne; Lin-Ya Hsu; Sarah Westcott Mccoy; Michele A Lobo; James Bovaird; Jennifer Burnsed; Christine Spence; Richard Stevenson; Stacey C Dusing

doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000001123

A Modification to the Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play to Enhance Its Utility: Evaluation of Validity, Responsiveness, and Reliability

Pediatr Phys Ther. 2024 Sep 12. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000001123. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rebecca M Molinini¹, Natalie A Koziol, Ketaki Inamdar, Claire Rhee, Arya Salgaonkar, Regina T Harbourne, Lin-Ya Hsu, Sarah Westcott Mccoy, Michele A Lobo, James Bovaird, Jennifer Burnsed, Christine Spence, Richard Stevenson, Stacey C Dusing

Affiliation

¹ Author Affiliations: Partnership for People with Disabilities, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (Dr Molinini); Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics, and Psychometrics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska (Dr Koziol); Human Performance and Physical Therapy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia (Dr Inamdar); Motor Development Lab, University of Southern California (Ms Rhee); Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (Ms Salgaonkar); Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Harbourne); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington (Dr Hsu); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Dr Westcott McCoy); Move 2 Learn Innovation Lab, Department of Physical Therapy and Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware (Dr Lobo); Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska (Dr Bovaird); Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (Dr Burnsed); Department of Counseling and Special Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (Dr Spence); Division of NeuroDevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia (Dr Stevenson), Sykes Family Chair of Pediatric Physical Therapy, Health, and Development, Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (Dr Dusing).

PMID: 39316782
DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000001123

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the psychometric properties of a 4-second interval scoring modification of the Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play (ie, Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play 4-second interval scoring [APSP-4]).

Methods: A total of 95 children (3-48 months) with or at high risk for neuromotor delay were assessed with the APSP-4 and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III (Bayley). APSP-4 and Bayley cognitive raw scores were compared by age (construct validity) and over time (responsiveness). Twenty percent of videos were scored twice for intra- and interrater reliability.

Results: The APSP-4 demonstrated excellent interrater (intraclass correlations [ICCs] ≥ 0.96) and intrarater (ICCs ≥ 0.99) reliability and performed similar to Bayley cognitive raw scores at different ages (rs > 0.5), and over time (r = 0.81). The motor delay had similar effects on APSP-4 and Bayley scores.

Conclusions: Results support the validity and reliability evidence of the APSP-4 for use over time in tracking problem-solving skills in young children aged 3 to 48 months. Future research investigating clinical implementation of the APSP-4 is needed.