title: Validation of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication under Six outcome measure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to establish the construct validity of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS(©) ),a tool designed to measure changes in communication skills in preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating families' children (n=97; 68 males, 29 females; mean age 2y 8mo; SD 1.04y, range 10mo-4y 11mo) were recruited through eight Canadian organizations. The children were on a waiting list for speech and language intervention. Parents completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Social/Emotional (ASQ-SE) and the FOCUS three times: at assessment and at the start and end of treatment. A second sample (n=28; 16 males 12 females) was recruited from another organization to correlate the FOCUS scores with speech, intelligibility and language measures. Second sample participants ranged in age from 3 years 1 month to 4 years 9 months (mean 3y 11mo; SD 0.41y). At the start and end of treatment, children were videotaped to obtain speech and language samples. Parents and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) independently completed the FOCUS tool. SLPs who were blind to the pre/post order of the videotapes analysed the samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FOCUS measured significantly more change (p<0.01) during treatment than during the waiting list period. It demonstrated both convergent and discriminant validity against the ASQ-SE. The FOCUS change corresponded to change measured by a combination of clinical speech and language measures (κ=0.31, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FOCUS shows strong construct validity as a change-detecting instrument.
authors: Bloorview Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. nthomasstonell@hollandbloorview.ca
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Thomas-Stonell
authors: Bruce
authors: B
authors: Oddson
authors: Bernadette
authors: B
authors: Robertson
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Rosenbaum
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007807:Language Tests; D007808:Language Therapy; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013070:Speech Therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014850:Waiting Lists