Considerations when assessing urban South African children with the Developmental Test of Visual Perception 2nd edition (DTVP-2)

Abstract

Introduction:The Developmental Test of Visual Perception second Edition (DTVP-2) is frequently used by South African (SA) occupational therapists, despite the suitability of its US-based norms for SA children being questioned, and the 2014 release of the updated DTVP-3. This study investigated the suitability of the DTVP-2 norms for SA English-speaking children aged 5y 6mo-5y 11mo. SA sample scores were compared to American norms. Motor-reduced subtest scores were compared with and without the stop rule. Gender differences were tested. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive study used 134 English speaking children. Motor-enhanced subtests were administered as prescribed, but motor-reduced subtests were administered without the prescribed stop rule, allowing prescribed and adapted scores to be computed. Results: Scores of SA children varied from American norms, especially in visual closure, visual-motor speed and form constancy. Better visual closure scores were obtained when the stop rule was excluded. Boys and girls differed only on figure-ground, where girls scored higher. Conclusion: The DTVP-2 is valuable, but caution is recommended when measuring visual perceptual skills for this age band. Alternative instruments should be used, or local norms, or even more contextually relevant instruments, must be developed locally. At least, occupational therapists should apply US norms with care.

Relevance of Norms and Psychometric Properties of Three Standardised Visual Perceptual Tests for Children Attending Mainstream Schools in Gauteng

“…in 2020. Another South African study published the norms of the DTVP-2 37 for an urban South African sample of 5-year-old pre-schoolers which indicated variation in the children's scores in relation to the norms published in the manual for children in the USA, particularly for visual closure, visual-motor speed and form constancy 23 . Futhermore, an additional South African study found that 5-year-old urban pre-school children had scores similar to the normative range in the manual on the DTVP-3 and VMI-6, while the scores for the TVPS-3 were lower.…”

Visual Perceptual Deficits in Different Types of Cerebral Palsy

“…Although the tests are considered to be gender free in certain circumstances, it appears that there may be differences between genders in South African children, but other studies did not consider this variable so comparisons cannot be made 32 . Smith et al 45 completed a study where they looked at the considerations when assessing South African children using standardised visual perception tests using the Developmental Test of Visual Perception 2 nd Edition. In their study, males and females had similar scores on all the subtests of the DTVP-2 except the figure-ground subtest which had a significant difference (p=0.03), with females scoring higher than males 45 .…”

“…Smith et al 45 completed a study where they looked at the considerations when assessing South African children using standardised visual perception tests using the Developmental Test of Visual Perception 2 nd Edition. In their study, males and females had similar scores on all the subtests of the DTVP-2 except the figure-ground subtest which had a significant difference (p=0.03), with females scoring higher than males 45 .…”