UCLA

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of scores from a performance-based orientation and mobility (O&M) rubric in adolescents with visual impairments. The following five aims were addressed: (a) describe psychometric properties, (b) evaluate internal consistency, (c) investigate inter-rater reliability, (d) evaluate construct validity, and (e) explore O&M specialists’ perceptions of acceptability and feasibility. Prior research has provided evidence of associations between O&M skills and positive post-school outcomes; however, few studies have focused on O&M for children and adolescents, and existing measures of O&M skills for this population lack validity and reliability evidence.

This study used a mixed methods design to investigate scores from a performance-based rubric using data from 47 adolescents with visual impairments from three U.S. regions. The rubric included 122 items rated on a scale of 1 to 4. The results indicated that most items had adequate psychometric properties and eight of the ten sub-scales had acceptable to good internal consistency. Results also provided initial evidence of inter-rater reliability and some evidence of construct validity. O&M specialists’ perceptions of the training session, routes, and scoring procedures were favorable, and they provided several suggestions for improvement. After further refinement and empirical testing, the performance-based O&M rubric could be a useful, valid, and reliable measure of adolescents’ travel skills.