title: Validity of computer adaptive tests of daily routines for youth with spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of computer adaptive tests (CATs) of daily routines for child- and parent-reported outcomes following pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI) and to evaluate the validity of the scales.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ninety-six daily routine items were administered to 381 youths and 322 parents. Pearson correlations, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to evaluate the accuracy of simulated 5-item, 10-item, and 15-item CATs against the full-item banks and to evaluate concurrent validity. Independent samples t tests and analysis of variance were used to evaluate the ability of the daily routine scales to discriminate between children with tetraplegia and paraplegia and among 5 motor groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ICC and 95% CI demonstrated that simulated 5-, 10-, and 15-item CATs accurately represented the full-item banks for both child- and parent-report scales. The daily routine scales demonstrated discriminative validity, except between 2 motor groups of children with paraplegia. Concurrent validity of the daily routine scales was demonstrated through significant relationships with the FIM scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Child- and parent-reported outcomes of daily routines can be obtained using CATs with the same relative precision of a full-item bank. Five-item, 10-item, and 15-item CATs have discriminative and concurrent validity.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Leah M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bent
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mulcahey
authors.forename: Erin H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Calhoun
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Pensheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Lawrence C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Haley