The interrater reliability of a new standing balance test, the pediatric version of the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction for Balance (CTSIB), was examined. The CTSIB is a test that evaluates a child's ability to use visual, somatosensory and vestibular input for maintenance of standing balance. The CTSIB performance of twenty-four normal children, ages 4 through 9 years, was scored simultaneously by two examiners. The six conditions of the CTSIB were administered with two different feet positions; with feet together, and with feet in a heel-toe position. Three mearures of balance were recorded for each condition of the test: (1) amount of sway, (2) normal sway categories, and (3) movement strategy used. Spearman correlation coefficients were used as indices of reliability for the measurement of sway. These correlations ranged from .69 to .92. Response-by-response percentages of agreement were calculated to determine interrater agreement for judging nominal sway categories and type of movement strategy used. These percent-ages ranged from 87.5 to 100.0% and 66.7 to 100.0% respectively. The results of this study suggest that two independent raters can consistently score sway and nominal sway categories. More study is required before the reliability of the measurement of movement strategy can be determined. Also, further testing needs to be completed on the balance ability of children with development problems before the CTSIB can be used clinically.
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