Psychometric Evaluation of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire-Home Scale (PSEQ-H).

Abstract

The impact of sensory processing challenges on occupational participation is underrepresented by existing measurement tools even though these outcomes are highly prioritized by families. The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire-Home Scale (PSEQ-H) is a parent-report assessment designed to evaluate the impact of the sensory environment on young children's participation in home-based activities. To describe the psychometric evaluation of the PSEQ-H, including the tool's structural validity; item difficulty, discrimination, and bias; reliability; and construct validity. Psychometric field study. Community. Three hundred four parents of children ages 2-7 yr (167 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder). Parent-report PSEQ-H data were factor analyzed, calibrated using Item Response Theory, and evaluated for construct validity. The final PSEQ-H is a reliable and valid 15-item parent-report measure of the sensory environment's impact on children's dressing, self-care, sleep, and social and play activities. The PSEQ-H can be used to plan and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for reducing the impact of the sensory environment on children's participation in home-based tasks and activities. The PSEQ-H measures how young children's sensory environments influence their participation at home. The measure can be used to plan and evaluate occupational therapy interventions that aim to reduce sensory processing-related barriers to children's completion of developmentally salient activities.