Validity and reliability evidence of smart start in preschoool-aged children with/without a developmental delay and/or a disability

The purpose of this study was to investigate validity and reliability evidence of Smart Start in male (n =35) and female (n = 25) children with/without a disability. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) of preschoolers (with a disability, n = 32; and without a disability, n = 28) aged between 37 to 64 months were examined using Smart Start and the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition. The correlation between total scores of the two instruments was r = .89, p < .01. Across three raters, the average percentages of agreement, modified kappa coefficients, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intra-rater reliability using Smart Start on all participants were .92, .83, and .96, respectively. For inter-rater reliability, the average percentages of agreement, modified kappa coefficients, and ICCs based on all participants were .86, .71, and .93, respectively. The major findings provide preliminary evidence to support concurrent validity and intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Smart Start for assessing FMS of preschoolers with/without a disability.