Development of an Assessment Tool for Measuring Social Interactions of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in an Individual Music Therapy Setting

Abstract

The objective of this study is to develop an assessment tool for measuring the social interactions of preschool children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) in an individual music therapy setting. In order to draft a questionnaire as an assessment tool, we researched the current literature, performed direct observations of preschool children with ASD, and conducted in-depth interviews with experts in the field. The drafted questionnaire went through preliminary tests and a content validity test, and 99 question items were chosen for the main questionnaire. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to experts in selected institutions such as education facilities for preschool children, schools for disabled preschool children, hospitals, and music therapy clinics. Of these, 288 were collected and analyzed with a question item analysis, a reliability test, and a validity test. For the question item analysis, the response distribution of each item and its total correlation with the other items were calculated. The question item analysis was followed by a reliability test in which appropriate question items were extracted. Finally, we conducted the validity test for items—focusing on content validity, construct validity, and concurrent validity. These tests led to the final selection of 46 question items that were able to be grouped into three factors regarding emotions, group play, and responsiveness to instruction.