Evidence that there was a weak relationship between scores and age for the infants with cerebral palsy, combined with scores of typically developing infants, provided further evidence that the Mini-AHA tests ability of the affected hand and not developmental skills. Forty typically developing infants achieved maximum scores as expected. Data collected with over 100 infants was subjected to Rasch modelling to examine item and scale properties and provided evidence for uni-dimensionality and internal scale structure. The capacity of the toys to elicit bimanual responses was confirmed and tested in play sessions conducted with typically developing children, compared to children with cerebral palsy. Toys included in the assessment were selected based on a review of literature and a conceptual model 2. Validity - the assessment was well designed 1 with a strong theoretical and conceptual foundation. Treatment can be designed to provide the “just right” level of challenge by targeting the movements and tasks which are more difficult. Once an infant’s ability level on the hierarchy is determined, their strengths and weaknesses can be identified. The easiest items are ‘holds an object’ and ‘make contact with an object’. Amongst the most difficult items are ‘bimanual manipulation’ and ‘varying grasp’. The Rasch analysis of the test produced a hierarchy of difficulty of test items 1. The Mini-AHA is a standardised, criterion-referenced assessment to examine how young children with hemiplegia use their affected hand with toys that provoke two-handed use (that is, it measures their typical performance, not their capacity). The scores are entered into an electronic spreadsheet which calculates a raw score (0-88) and a logit based Mini-AHA unit (0-100), which is then used to interpret and report the results. When scoring the Mini-AHA from a videorecording, 20 items (such as reaches, releases, stabilises by grasp, moves forearm) are rated on a 4-point scale which is specific for each item, but with a generic basis (that is, 4 = Effective to 1 = Does not do) 1. (These details are also outlined in the test manual). As part of the course, assessment kits including approximately 20 toys, in six categories, are compiled by therapists according to specific criteria they learnt in their training. There are costs for training and certification to become qualified in the assessment. For information about courses contact: the Assisting Hand Assessment website or CPteaching™. Health professionals must undertake training and certification to administer, score and interpret the Mini-AHA.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |