Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42163528›Full record

ArticleAutism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research2026

Examining the Validity and Reliability of Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration Data Collected With Autistic Children: A Rasch Analysis.

Patricia Grady-Dominguez, Anita C Bundy, Zoe Mailloux, Roseann C Schaaf

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Patricia Grady-DominguezDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Anita C BundyDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4743-9144
Zoe MaillouxCollaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration, Redondo Beach, California, USA.
Roseann C SchaafCollaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration, Redondo Beach, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7132-8212

Funding

Eagles Autism Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Performance-based assessments of sensory function provide essential insights into sensory integration challenges in autistic children and provide objective, standardized measurement data that can be used to tailor targeted interventions. We sought to evaluate the validity and reliability of data collected using the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI) for assessing sensory and motor functions in autistic children. We used the Rasch Measurement Model to evaluate data collected with 146 autistic children aged 3-12 years (United States: n = 24, Australia: n = 115, Brazil: n = 7). We analyzed 19 performance-based tests assessing sensory perception, praxis, and motor functions. Rasch analyses examined item fit, unidimensionality, item targeting, and internal reliability. Seventeen of 19 analyzed EASI tests demonstrated strong construct validity, with adequate item-fit and unidimensionality. Fourteen tests met reliability thresholds (person separation reliability ≥ 0.70), while five tests exhibited lower person separation reliability. Some tests showed poor item targeting, potentially limiting their precision for children with stronger sensorimotor abilities. Most EASI tests demonstrate strong validity and reliability for assessing sensory integration in autistic children. Clinicians can use tests meeting reliability thresholds with confidence; tests with lower reliability can provide useful information but should be corroborated with other clinical data. Findings for PF should be considered preliminary given limited sample size. In general, this initial validation of EASI advances the evaluation of sensory integration for autistic children.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderAustraliaBrazilChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMalePsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsUnited Statesautismbehavioral measurementpre‐school childrenschool‐age childrensensory integration

Identifiers

PMID42163528
PMCPMC13377294

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.