The Development of a Test for Auditory-Visual Integration

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to develop a reliable and valid measure of auditory-visual integration (AVI), and to investigate the relationship among the factors if AVI, age, sex, parts. In Part One, the AVI test was constructed and then administered to 76 nonhandicapped children, ages 7-16. Results of this testing revealed that AVI scores increased significantly with the increasing age of the subjects (p<.05), and that females scored significantly higher than males (p<.05). The AVI test was then revised using the procedures of item analysis. In Part Two of the study, the revised AVI test was administered to 18 nonhandicapped children, and to 27 children with reading comprohension problems, ages 5-13. Nonhandicapped children scored significantly higher than children with reading comprehension problems (p<.05), and AVI scores increased significantly with the increasing age of subjects (p<.05). No differences were found between scores of males and females. Test reliability was estimated at 0.923 using the Kuder-Richardson formula 20, a measure of internal consistency. Validity was demonstrated by the diference between samples on the test (concurrent validity), and formulation of the test construct. It was concluded that the AVI test developed in the study is a valid diagnostic tool for assessing the auditory-visual integration ability of elementary school children, ages 5-13. Finally, it was hypothesized that children experiencing difficulties in reading comprohension, or reading acquitition, may have a specific developmental deficit in the transfer and integration of auditory and visual stimuli.

Keyword(s): assessment, test, test-construction, children, auditory, visual, integration, reading.

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