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Research Article
Issue Date: April 1981
Published Online: April 01, 1981
Updated: April 30, 2020
A Developmental Prehension Assessment for Handicapped Children
Rhoda Priest Erhardt; Patricia Ann Beatty; Doris Massey Hertsgaard
Author Affiliations
  • Rhoda Priest Erhardt, M.A., OTR, is in private practice in Fargo, North Dakota; a pediatric consultant to school districts, special education cooperatives, child evaluation centers, developmental activity centers, and hospitals in North Dakota and Minnesota; and an instructor in the Division of Continuing Education at Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minnesota
  • Patricia Ann Beatty, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
  • Doris Massey Hertsgaard, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences at North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
Article Information
Pediatric Evaluation and Intervention / Rehabilitation, Participation, and Disability / Features
Research Article   |   April 01, 1981
A Developmental Prehension Assessment for Handicapped Children
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, April 1981, Vol. 35, 237-242. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.35.4.237
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, April 1981, Vol. 35, 237-242. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.35.4.237
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Abstract

A study consisting of three components is reported. During Phase One an extensive literature search led to a compiled set of norms for reflexive and voluntary prehensile development. Phase Two included the clinical use and revision of the resultant Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assessment (EDPA©). Phase Three involved the testing of the EDPA for interrater reliability, which resulted in highly significant intraclass correlations. Single test item correlations were also analyzed to identify items needing clarification or alteration in preparation for final revision of the instrument. A sample application in the clinical field is illustrated by segments of an EDPA used to develop an Individualized Educational Plan, required by Federal Law 94-142 (Education of All Handicapped Children).