The Effects Of Different Colored Developmental Eye Movement Tests On Children's Performance.

Background: Traditionally Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) tests are done on white paper and are intended for use in diagnosing oculomotor dysfunction. Those students with oculomotor dysfunction tend to be poorer readers. We would like to see if test performance results will differ when the test is repeated on yellow and blue paper.
Methods: Three DEM tests were preformed consecutively, in a randomized order, on white, yellow and blue paper on forty-one third grade human subjects at an elementary school. The order of testing was predetermined based on a random number scale. At the conclusion oftesting, the classroom teacher rated each student's reading ability based on a set classification of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest level and 5 being the highest level reader. Results: The data was analyzed by JMP 5.0 software by SAS, and it was determined that there was no correlation between reading level and performance on the DEM. Also, no statistical evidence showed that a specific colored paper influenced performance on the DEM. However, it was determined that the students performed better on each consecutive test regardless of the color of paper. This brings into question the test-retest reliability of the DEM. Conclusions: Performance on the DEM is not related to reading ability. Also, no evidence was found that the use of blue or yellow paper will increase speed and accuracy on the test. Although it is a quick and inexpensive test, the DEM may be of limited usefulness in evaluating for reading difficulties.