Psychometric properties of the universal design for play tool.

摘要

Toys are often referred to as the 'tools' used in play and are of great importance for children's development in providing access to play. Parents of children with disabilities are often unsure in how to facilitate play, select play materials/toys which are suitable, and determine which toys are developmentally appropriate. Recently there has been an attempt to apply Universal Design (UD) principles to develop products and environments which can be used by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. By applying these principles to toys, the Universal Design for Play (UDP) Project at the University at Buffalo, developed an evaluation tool (instrument) to identify and measure the universal design features and characteristics of toys for all children with and without disabilities aged birth to three years. The tool was designed to help parents, caregivers, toy buyers, and toy designers select/design toys with universal design features for children with and without disabilities.; The purpose of this research is to establish the psychometric properties of the fifth version of the Universal Design for Play (UDP) tool for which the content validity has previously been established. The UDP is a 19-item checklist that evaluates toys and places them into one of the three categories: most, few, and the least universal design features. The focus of this study is to establish the test-retest reliability, internal structure and construct validity thereby contributing to the development of a reliable and valid instrument. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)