Author: Michael Milone, PhD

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Test of handwriting skills-revised

• Author Michael Milone, PhD
• Cassie Legg Chris Matzye

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Characteristics

• Age range
• 6.0 years through 18.11 years (manuscript)
• 8.0 years through 18.11 years (cursive)
• Visual-motor (sensory) integration
• Individual/group administration
• Domain Handwriting
• Neurosensory integration

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Purpose

• Assesses neurosensory integration ability as
  evidenced by manuscript or cursive writing
• Determines if neurosensory integration
  difficulties contribute to learning problems
  (should be used with other assessments)
• Monitors progress of students with disabilities
• Guides instructional or rehabilitation practices
• NOT a classroom penmanship test

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Test

• 10 Subtests
• Testing time
• 10 minutes to administer
• 15 minutes to score
• Test cost
• Kit (manual, 15 manuscript test booklets, 15
  cursive test booklets, 30 record forms, and
  training video 150.00
• Manual 60.00

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Test development and standardization

• Majority of standardization tests were done on
  children ages 6-10
• Type of task and order of subtests remained the
  same as the original version because literature
  found them to still be valid
• Bias was tested and was not evident
• the U.S. population (region, race/ethnicity,
  gender, parent education) based on U.S. Bureau of
  the Census, 2000
• N 1608
• Ages 6 through 18.11

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Psychometric properties
Internal Consistency Test-Retest Interrater Validity
Manuscript (0.61-0.85) N 46 N 53 Manuscript 12 Cursive 41 Content developed so each would be common to a wide variety of children in standard academic settings
Cursive (0.65-0.92) Interval 14 days Agreement among raters 0.59-1.00 Construct developmental changes, exceptional group differences how these are involved in neurosensory integration
Total test score 0.82 Typical correspondence 0.75-0.90
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Test procedures

• Establish everyday writing style of student
  (manuscript or cursive)
• Standardized methods
• Use the exact wording in the instruction manual
• Test must be administered in order beginning with
  Subtest 1 and ending with Subtest 10 (utilize
  abbreviated assessment when time is limited
  Subtest 6 7)
• Can be administered individually or in small
  groups but additional administrators are
  recommended for groups
• Subtests 1 2 are timed
• Note any behaviors that contribute to performance
  or suggest an underlying problem

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Example of test items
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Scoring
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Scoring and interpretation
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Area of occupation addressed

• Education
• Formal education participation

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Assessment approach

• Bottom-Up
• Uses letter formation to assess neurosensory
  integration

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Application of assessment

• School system
• Private practice

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Frame of reference

• Sensory integration
• Looks at neurosensory integration skills

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Measurement concerns

• Competency in scoring and interpretation