Validity and reliability in assessment methods

Random errors include sampling errors, unpredictable fluctuations in the measurement apparatus, or a change in a respondents mood, which may cause a person to offer an answer to a question that might differ from the one he or she would normally provide. They are inherently unpredictable and transitory. Random errors in measurement are inconsistent errors that happen by chance. Random Errors: Random error is a term used to describe all chance or random factors than confound-undermine-the measurement of any phenomena. Target C shows a measure with good validity and good reliability because all of the shots are concentrated at the center of the target. Target A shows a measurement that has good reliability, but has poor validity as the shots are consistent, but they are off the center of the target. The shots are neither consistent nor accurate. In the illustration below, Target B represents measurement with poor validity and poor reliability. Reliability and validity are often compared to a marksman's target. Validity is the degree to which the researcher actually measures what he or she is trying to measure. Reliability means that the results obtained are consistent. Accurate results are both reliable and valid. It is essential to develop validated and comprehensive evaluation tools, embedded on the needs of Chinese families of children with ASD.All researchers strive to deliver accurate results. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the revised ALSOLIFE Assessment (464-items) satisfied psychometric requirements. The reliability tests indicated its strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability. Compared to the VB-NLAPP and PEP-3, the ALSOLIFE Assessment exhibited good criterion-related validity across three levels: total scores, 6 skill domains, and 22 skill subdomains. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of ALSOLIFE Assessment scoring data yielded six factors, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the best fitting construct model is a bifactorial model with one general factor and six group factors. Results: The reliability and validity of the ALSOLIFE Assessment satisfied psychometric requirements after the reduction from 511 to 464 items. The testing results of Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) and Psychoeducational Profile-3 (PEP-3) were also collected for a portion of the child participants (VB-MAPP, N=34 PEP-3, N=31) to check criterion-related validity. Their caregivers participated simultaneously as ALSOLIFE Assessment evaluators. Methods: A total of 1,050 children with ASD (1 to 10 years old) were recruited from 31 provinces of mainland China.

Therefore, we conduct this study to investigate the reliability and validity of the ALSOLIFE Assessment. Although ALSOLIFE Assessment provides caregivers a home-based intervention program, it is still unclear whether its evaluation is reliable and accurate. The assessment report then further served as the basis for caregivers to deliver the tailored educational intervention to their children.

lb address the practical needs of Chinese families of children with ASD, ALSOLIFE Assessment is designed as a free, online, technology-assisted, self-operated and behavioral intervention approaches supported system. Given that the critical shortage of qualified professionals in China, many caregivers of children with ASD must function as home therapists. To facilitate the application of ALSO in early intervention, ALSOLIFE skills assessment system (ALSOLIFE Assessment) was developed to enable caregivers to evaluate their children's skills guided by the ALSO conception. Background: In responding to the potential challenges in the transition from childhood to adulthood for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in China, a novel conception of 'ALSO' was proposed to bridge the transitional needs and early intervention.

Validity and reliability in assessment methods