Telehealth Administration of the Affect in Play Scale in Children with Developmental Differences

The Affect in Play Scale (APS) is a standardized pretend play assessment that measures cognitive and affective skills in school-aged children. We examined the comparative utility of the APS via telehealth across three diagnostic groups. Ninety-four children ages 6 to 9 who were either typically developing or had high-functioning autism spectrum disorder or Prader-Willi syndrome completed the APS either in-person or via videoconferencing in a single mode administration design. Equivalence analyses compared in-person versus remote APS scores within diagnostic groups. Paired samples t tests revealed no significant differences between groups on all APS variables (ps > .073). Results support equivalence and feasibility of the remote APS for school-aged children with and without developmental differences. Recommendations for administration are discussed.