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Introduction: This study explores the social experiences in high school of students with visual impairments. Methods: Experience sampling methodology was used to examine (a) how socially included students with visual impairments feel, (b) the internal qualities of their activities, and (c) the factors that influence a sense of inclusion. Twelve students, including three with additional disabilities, completed the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) questionnaire as a measure of inclusion. They were subsequently asked to complete an in-the-moment survey seven times daily for one week using an iOS device. This survey asked about activities and ratings of internal variables: fitting in, acceptance, loneliness, awareness, and enjoyment. Each student was also interviewed. Z-scores were created for internal variables and correlations calculated to examine relationships between experiences, PSSM, and demographic variables. Results: This group felt included as measured by the PSSM (m = 4.24, SD = 0.67). Students' most frequent activity was classwork. Doing nothing rated most negatively and was described as time wasting. Out-of-class activities were rated most positively. In the three participants with additional disabilities, it appeared that the presence of this additional disability negatively influenced a sense of inclusion (rb = -0.67, p < 0.05), fitting in (rb = -0.86, p < 0.05), enjoyment (rb = -0.65, p < 0.05), and loneliness (rb = 0.88, p < 0.05). Interviews revealed a lack of common ground between adolescents with both visual impairments and additional disabilities and their peers. Discussion and implications for practitioners: These students worked hard to maintain parity with peers and found school more enjoyable if they fit in. It is important to provide discreet and timely access to the curriculum. Friendships require time, common interests, and reciprocity. There may be potential to further explore out-of-class clubs as a means of supporting friendship development. In addition, findings suggest that students with additional disabilities are not likely to feel included. Because this population comprises the majority of visually impaired students, this result has serious implications for practitioners and should be examined in future research.

OBJECTIVE. A reliable, valid, and readily usable method of measuring coping is essential for occupational therapy practitioners and researchers working with children with developmental disabilities. The aim of this study was to examine evidence for the construct validity and internal and test--retest reliability of the Coping Inventory (CI), a 48-item survey designed for use with children. METHOD. School staff (N = 39) completed CIs for 79 students with developmental disabilities age 5--13 yr (mean = 8.0, standard deviation = 2.0) who were primarily boys (n = 52; 68%) with autism spectrum disorder (n = 40 of 47 diagnoses provided). We used Rasch analysis to examine construct validity, internal reliability, and possible redundancy of items and intraclass correlations, Pearson correlations, Bland--Altman plots, and t tests were used to examine test--retest reliability. RESULTS. Rasch analysis provided evidence of construct validity: All items correlated positively with the overall measure; data from 94% of items conformed with Rasch expectations, and the items form a logical hierarchy. Intraclass correlations revealed an average coefficient of .96, providing evidence of test--retest reliability. CONCLUSION. The CI demonstrated good evidence for construct validity and internal and test--retest reliability. Redundancy of items suggests that some items could be eliminated after further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the social inclusion in high school of Australian students with vision impairment (VI). We sought to understand how students described school social inclusion, whether they felt included and what influenced these perceptions. As part of a larger mixed methods study, 12 students with VI, who had previously answered the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) questionnaire, were interviewed about the social aspects of school. These interviews were analysed thematically. Participants described social inclusion as about being noticed and not overlooked by others. While two-thirds of participants reported satisfactory social relationships in high school, one-third, including all those with additional disabilities, reported being teased or rejected by their school peers. Five themes encompassed the varying influences on school social inclusion. These were: (a) putting myself forward; (b) knowing me; (c) having control; (d) having a place to shine; and finally a negative influence (e) peer exclusion and rejection. These themes largely parallel those of competence, autonomy, and relatedness found in self-determination theory. This suggests that staff can enhance the social inclusion of students with VI by facilitating these students’ self-determination. In practice, this would require school staff to focus on enabling students with VI to explore and build on strengths, fully access the curriculum alongside their peers, and have time and opportunity to develop friendships with these peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A self-report instrument of mental health recovery is needed both to facilitate collaborative, recoveryoriented practice and measure recovery-focused outcomes. The Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS) has been developed to simultaneously fulfill these goals. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and measurement properties of the RAS-DS. Method: Feasibility was examined by 58 consumer-staff pairs volunteering from 3 non-government organisations. Consumers completed the RAS-DS, discussed it with staff, and then both completed Usefulness Questionnaires. The psychometric properties were examined using Rasch analysis with the data from these consumer participants and from additional participants recruited from two Partners in Recovery programs (N=324). Results: Over 70% of consumers reported taking 15 minutes or less to complete the RAS-DS and rated the instrument as easy or very easy to use. Qualitative data from both consumers and staff indicated that, for most, the RAS-DS was an easy to use, meaningful resource that facilitated shared understandings and collaborative goal setting. However, for a very small number of consumers, the instrument was too confronting and hard to use. Rasch analysis demonstrated evidence for excellent internal reliability and validity. Raw scores were highly correlated with Rasch-generated overall scores and thus no transformation is required, easing use for clinicians. Preliminary evidence for sensitivity to change was demonstrated. Conclusions: The results provide evidence of the feasibility and psychometric strengths of the RAS-DS. Although further research is required, the RAS-DS shows promise as a potential addition to the national suite of routine outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE. We developed the Modified Occupational Questionnaire (MOQ), a simple, quantitative measure of meaningful time use. METHOD. The MOQ, a time diary based on the Occupational Questionnaire, was piloted with a group of occupational therapy students and revised before use in a larger investigation involving young unemployed Australians (N = 228). External validity was examined by comparing MOQ time-use data with data from the 2006 Australian Time Use Survey. Internal validity was examined through Rasch analysis procedures. RESULTS. The MOQ demonstrated very good external validity (correlations >.85); acceptable rating scale, item function, and person performance validity; very good item and person reliability indexes (1.00 and 0.93, respectively); and a good person separation index (3.52). CONCLUSION. The MOQ is a simple and valid measure of the basic elements of meaningful time use. Future research is required to further develop the MOQ, particularly in populations other than people who are unemployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There is limited information on the clinimetric properties of questionnaires of activity limitation in people after ankle fracture. Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinimetric properties of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale, an activity limitation questionnaire, in people with ankle fracture. Design. This was a measurement study using data collected from 2 previous randomized controlled trials and 1 inception cohort study. Methods. Participants with ankle fracture (N=306) were recruited within 7 days of cast removal. Data were collected at baseline and at short- and medium-term follow-ups. Internal consistency and construct validity were assessed using Rasch analysis. Concurrent validity, responsiveness, and floor and ceiling effects were evaluated. Results. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale demonstrated high internal consistency (a>.90). The variance in activity limitation explained by the items was high (98.3%). Each item had a positive correlation with the overall scale, and most items supported the unidimensionality of the scale. These findings suggest that the scale has high internal consistency and construct validity. The scale also demonstrated high concurrent validity and responsiveness in the short term and no floor or ceiling effects. However, the scale would benefit from more-challenging items, as evident at the medium-term follow-up. Limitations. This was a secondary analysis of existing data sets. Conclusion. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale is a useful tool to monitor activity limitation in people with ankle fracture up to the short-term follow-up. More- difficult items may need to be added to improve the responsiveness of the scale for longer-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine the agreement between rating of awareness based on scores on the Driving Awareness Questionnaire (DriveAware) and global judgments of awareness awarded after on-road assessment, thereby establishing the possibility of measuring drivers' awareness. METHOD. A prospective cohort study of 60 senior drivers with neurological conditions who were referred for driving assessment. Awareness was rated as intact, partial, or absent on the basis of the discrepancy score between participants' and clinicians' responses to DriveAware. A second clinician (masked to these results) rated awareness on the same scale at the completion of the on-road assessment. Agreement of categorical ratings was adjusted for chance using the kappa statistic. RESULTS. Results yielded a kappa of .69 (SE = .08), indicating agreement substantially beyond chance. CONCLUSION. Results indicate that awareness of driving ability may be measured with substantial accuracy using DriveAware in senior drivers with neurological impairments. The psychometric properties of DriveAware require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hiller CE, Refshauge KM, Bundy AC, Herbert RD, Kilbreath SL. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool: a report of validity and reliability testing. Objective: To test the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), a 9-item 30-point scale, for measuring severity of functional ankle instability. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: General community. Participants: Volunteer sample of 236 subjects. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Concurrent validity by comparison with the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and a visual analog scale (VAS) of global perception of ankle instability by using the Spearman ρ. Construct validity and internal reliability with Rasch analysis using goodness-of-fit statistics for items and subjects, separation of subjects, correlation of items to the total scale, and a Cronbach α equivalent. Discrimination score for functional ankle instability by maximizing the Youden index and tested for sensitivity and specificity. Test-retest reliability by intraclass correlation coefficient, model 2,1 (ICC2,1). Results: There were significant correlations between the CAIT and LEFS (ρ=.50, P<.01) and VAS (ρ=.76, P<.01). Construct validity and internal reliability were acceptable (α=.83; point measure correlation for all items, >0.5; item reliability index, .99). The threshold CAIT score was 27.5 (Youden index, 68.1); sensitivity was 82.9% and specificity was 74.7%. Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC2,1=.96). Conclusions: CAIT is a simple, valid, and reliable tool to measure severity of functional ankle instability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]