Content validity of an instrument for motor assessment of youth with autism

Abstract

Introduction: Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present motor disorders that have been the focus of physical therapy interventions. However, the standardized motor assessments available in the literature have important gaps, among them the complexity of the tasks evaluated and the absence of qualitative information about the subjects' performance. Objective: To develop and evaluate the content validity of the Gross Motor Assessment of Children and Adolescents with ASD checklist (GMA-AUT checklist). Methods: The GMA-AUT checklist was sent to a committee of experts for content validation. The content validity index (CVI) was used to assess the degree of agreement between the experts. To verify the content validity of the checklist, the minimal acceptable CVI was 0.80. Results: Based on the suggestions made, the GMA-AUT was reformulated and submitted to the same panel of experts for reassessment. In the second and final draft of the checklist, only two items had a CVI of 0.88, while all others reached a CVI of 1.00. Conclusion: The GMA-AUT checklist presents adequate content validity for assessing gross motor in children and adolescents with ASD according to experts in the field.