Determining Alertness in Individuals with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: The Reliability of an Observation List

Autor/inn/en	Munde, Vera; Vlaskamp, Carla; Ruijssenaars, Wied; Nakken, Han
Titel	Determining Alertness in Individuals with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: The Reliability of an Observation List
Quelle	In: Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 46 (2011) 1, S.116-123 (8 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2154-1647
Schlagwörter	Multiple Disabilities; Observation; Severe Disabilities; Cognitive Ability; Evaluation Methods; Test Validity; Test Reliability; Foreign Countries; Special Education; Physical Disabilities; Perceptual Impairments; Children; Adolescents; Psychological Patterns; Netherlands + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Multiple disability; Mehrfachbehinderung; Beobachtung; Severe disability; Schwerbehinderung; Denkfähigkeit; Testvalidität; Testreliabilität; Ausland; Special needs education; Sonderpädagogik; Sonderschulwesen; Physical handicap; Körperbehinderung; Perceptual handicaps; Wahrnehmungsstörung; Child; Kind; Kinder; Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Niederlande
Abstract	In the support of individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), assessing the level of alertness is a recurring issue for parents and other direct support persons. Although observations show clear advantages above and beyond other assessment methods, there are problems related to this method as well. Subjectivity of interpretation and low reliability results have been described as the main problems. In the present study, our aim was to estimate the reliability of the Alertness Observation List (AOL) while, at the same time, minimizing the problems entailed in observations. We calculated both the inter-observer agreement and intra-observer agreement for 39 situations. Since the results exceeded the formulated 80%-criterion, we concluded that the AOL was a reliable instrument. However, the large range found in the results was striking. Moreover, observers with different information about the observed individuals came up with different reliability scores. To determine the value of observation of individuals with PIMD, it might well be necessary to judge the actual usefulness that the instrument has in clinical practice, besides the reliability of the results. (Contains 3 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children. DDD, P.O. Box 3512, Fayetteville, AR 72702. Tel: 479-575-3326; Fax: 479-575-6676; Web site: http://www.dddcec.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10