Test-Retest Reliability of Virtual Acoustic Space Identification Test in School-Going Children.

The virtual acoustic space identification (VASI) test was designed to assess spatial-hearing acuity by simulating sound location perception in a closed field (under headphones). The utility of this tool in children can be asserted only if the test results are consistent across measurement sessions, which is evaluated in this study using test-retest reliability assessments. The VASI test assessed the spatial abilities of 40 typically developing school-aged children aged 7-13 years ( The Shapiro-Wilk test indicated that the VASI data were not normally distributed. Intraclass correlation coefficient analysis revealed excellent test-retest reliability of the overall accuracy scores and moderate-to-high reliability of location-specific scores. This was complimented by the low response variability of the overall and location-specific accuracy scores. The Bland-Altman analysis also indicated minimal bias in VASI accuracy scores across the three sessions. It can be concluded from the results that VASI is a reliable tool for assessing spatial-hearing acuity in school-aged children. The high test-retest reliability and ease of portability make the test highly relevant for classroom setups where early diagnosis and intervention of spatial deficits can play a critical role in determining the academic success of school-going children.