Determining Domain Correlations Between the WISC-IV and the SIPT in Children Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorders in The Basque Country of Spain: A Pilot Study
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
12-9-2018 9:00 AM
End Date
12-9-2018 12:00 PM
Description
Purpose: Mental health is an essential component of a child’s overall well-being and has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health, as well as their ability to succeed in school, work, and social settings (American Psychological Association [APA], 2018). Many studies have found that the characteristics of a child diagnosed with a mental health disorder often overlap with those of a child diagnosed with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Kielding et al., 2001; Miller, Nielsen, & Schoen 2012). This pilot study was designed to assess if there are correlations between two of the most widely used assessments in psychology and occupational therapy that address both diagnoses. Both assessments, The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), and the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT), were each the gold standard assessments at the time of this study in their respective fields of psychology and occupational therapy. Correlations between subtests of the WISC-IV and SIPT were hypothesized prior to review of statistical data.
Methods: Pre-existing de-identified data from ten subjects between the ages of four and nine, with a mental health diagnosis in the Basque Country of Spain was analyzed using a crosssectional retrospective design to determine if specific subtests and domains of the WISC-IV correlated with specific subtests and domains of the SIPT. All de-identified data was analyzed utilizing the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software.
Results: A Shapiro-Wilks test of normal distribution was performed it was found that the p value was greater than 0.05 (p > .05). As such the alternative hypothesis that the data would not have a normal distribution was rejected by the researchers, and the scores for both the WISC-IV and the SIPT assessments were found to be normally distributed (W = .87 to .98). Results from statistical analysis indicated that there were thirteen statistically significant correlations between individual subtests of the WISC-IV and the SIPT. The WISC-IV subtest of Block Design had seven significant correlations with various SIPT subtests, with correlation coefficients ranging from .649 to .859. The tests of Block Design and Design Copy presented with the strongest correlation (r = .859, p < .01). Correlations between domains of the WISC-IV and SIPT were also found when analyzed and through a linear regression analysis it was found that the Somatosensory (SOMAT) domain of the SIPT can predict the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) domain of the WISC-IV, indicating that a child’s somatosensory system has an effect on their perceptual reasoning abilities.
Conclusions: Results from this study have the potential to influence both the psychology and occupational therapy profession, as they could allow both professions insight into clients prior to their initial evaluation, if the WISC-IV or SIPT had previously been completed, as well as allowing for greater interaction and understanding between disciplines.
Recommended Citation
Reinoso, G. A., Damitz, K., Wall, R., Harden, M., & Rasmussen, K. (2018), Determining Domain Correlations Between the WISC-IV and the SIPT in Children Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorders in The Basque Country of Spain: A Pilot Study, Presentation, Fourth Annual Research Colloquium, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ot_colloquium/fourth/events/9
Determining Domain Correlations Between the WISC-IV and the SIPT in Children Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorders in The Basque Country of Spain: A Pilot Study
Purpose: Mental health is an essential component of a child’s overall well-being and has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health, as well as their ability to succeed in school, work, and social settings (American Psychological Association [APA], 2018). Many studies have found that the characteristics of a child diagnosed with a mental health disorder often overlap with those of a child diagnosed with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Kielding et al., 2001; Miller, Nielsen, & Schoen 2012). This pilot study was designed to assess if there are correlations between two of the most widely used assessments in psychology and occupational therapy that address both diagnoses. Both assessments, The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), and the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT), were each the gold standard assessments at the time of this study in their respective fields of psychology and occupational therapy. Correlations between subtests of the WISC-IV and SIPT were hypothesized prior to review of statistical data.
Methods: Pre-existing de-identified data from ten subjects between the ages of four and nine, with a mental health diagnosis in the Basque Country of Spain was analyzed using a crosssectional retrospective design to determine if specific subtests and domains of the WISC-IV correlated with specific subtests and domains of the SIPT. All de-identified data was analyzed utilizing the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software.
Results: A Shapiro-Wilks test of normal distribution was performed it was found that the p value was greater than 0.05 (p > .05). As such the alternative hypothesis that the data would not have a normal distribution was rejected by the researchers, and the scores for both the WISC-IV and the SIPT assessments were found to be normally distributed (W = .87 to .98). Results from statistical analysis indicated that there were thirteen statistically significant correlations between individual subtests of the WISC-IV and the SIPT. The WISC-IV subtest of Block Design had seven significant correlations with various SIPT subtests, with correlation coefficients ranging from .649 to .859. The tests of Block Design and Design Copy presented with the strongest correlation (r = .859, p < .01). Correlations between domains of the WISC-IV and SIPT were also found when analyzed and through a linear regression analysis it was found that the Somatosensory (SOMAT) domain of the SIPT can predict the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) domain of the WISC-IV, indicating that a child’s somatosensory system has an effect on their perceptual reasoning abilities.
Conclusions: Results from this study have the potential to influence both the psychology and occupational therapy profession, as they could allow both professions insight into clients prior to their initial evaluation, if the WISC-IV or SIPT had previously been completed, as well as allowing for greater interaction and understanding between disciplines.