Objectivity and stability of the Preschool Imitation and Praxis Scale.

OBJECTIVE We examined rater and test-retest reliability of the Preschool Imitation and Praxis Scale (PIPS). METHOD We administered the PIPS to 119 typically developing children ages 1.5-4.9 yr. RESULTS The PIPS demonstrated acceptable intra- and interrater reliability on item level (k(w) = 0.45-1) and scale level (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC = 0.996; 95% CI: 0.968-0.999 and ICC = 0.995; 95% CI: 0.990-0.997, respectively). The smallest detectable difference of the PIPS was 5.6%, indicating that the change score rated by different raters for an individual child is valid and that the PIPS can be used by different raters as an outcome measure to determine children's improvement or maturation. Results of test-retest analysis revealed that the PIPS score is stable over time (r = .93). CONCLUSION The PIPS appears to meet the required standards regarding objectivity and stability. The PIPS may assist clinicians and researchers in evaluating and reevaluating preschoolers' imitation ability, which is a primary learning strategy of young children.