Examining Validity of the Print Tool Compared With Test of Handwriting Skills-Revised.

Abstract

Handwriting assessments offer practitioners an objective measure to determine handwriting deficits, track student progress, and provide evidence for the use of occupational therapy intervention. This study determines the concurrent validity of the Print Tool with the Test of Handwriting Skills-Revised (THS-R) and examines the alignment of teacher perception with the Print Tool. Participants included 46 first- and second-grade students. All participants completed both handwriting assessments, and classroom teachers (n = 4) rated each students' overall handwriting performance and potential areas of concern addressed by the Print Tool. The Print Tool overall scores have a strong correlation (r = .606) with THS-R standard scores, suggesting good concurrent validity. Median Print Tool overall scores increased with each successive teacher rating classification, supporting alignment with teacher perception. This study provides preliminary evidence for the use of the Print Tool by occupational therapy practitioners to identify potential handwriting deficits that also align with teacher perception of performance.