Regression-predicted age norms for the Children's Orientation and Amnesia Test

Abstract

The Children's Orientation and Amnesia Test (COAT) was developed to assess posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents who are in the early stages of recovery from traumatic brain injury. The COAT is composed of 16 items designed to assess general orientation, temporal orientation, and memory. The original norms are inadequate for several age groups because they were based on small sample sizes and may have been compromised by ceiling effects. In this study, normative data were collected for children between the ages of 8 and 13 (N = 248). Regression-predicted age norms were calculated and presented in tabular form. These results provide important reference data for interpreting COAT scores of children who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.