Detecting differences in activities of daily living between children with and without mild disabilities

Abstract

Objective. We evaluated whether the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) measures are valid for detecting differences in activities of daily living (ADL) ability among children with and without mild disabilities. Method. Retrospective data from the AMPS database were analyzed using many-facet Rasch analyses and forced regression analyses to evaluate for significant group differences. Results. Regression analyses of data for 10,998 children ages 4-15 who met the inclusion criteria revealed significant Age x Group interaction effects (B≥0.23, T≥6.20, p≤.001). Post hoc t tests revealed significant group differences in ADL ability at all ages beyond age 4. ADL process ability effect sizes were moderate to large at all ages, and ADL motor ability was mostly moderate to large at ages 6 or older. Conclusion. These findings support the validity of the AMPS measures when used to identify ADL problems among children with mild disabilities.