Here’s a breakdown of the assessments used for assessing children.
Movement ABC (Movement Assessment Battery for Children)
Identifies motor coordination difficulties: Detects developmental coordination issues, including fine and gross motor skill challenges, such as balance and manual dexterity.
Standardised results: Provides reliable, age-normed data, which can be compared to peers, helping to diagnose conditions like Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Wide age range: Suitable for children aged 3 to 16 years 11 months, allowing it to assess motor challenges across a broad age spectrum.
Beery VMI (Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration)
Assesses visual-motor integration: Measures how well children coordinate visual perception with motor control, essential for tasks like handwriting, drawing, and using tools.
Early identification of visual-motor deficits: Helps detect difficulties that may affect academic performance, especially in areas such as reading and writing.
Tracks development over time: Enables monitoring of visual-motor integration improvements or delays over time, guiding the intervention process.
COMPS (Clinical Observations of Motor and Postural Skills)
Identifies motor coordination issues: Focuses on postural control, bilateral integration, and motor planning, essential for activities requiring balance and coordination.
Non-standardized, quick screening tool: Provides fast, valuable observational data that can highlight subtle motor and postural difficulties.
Supports sensory integration evaluation: Offers clues about underlying sensory integration issues that may not be captured in standardized tests.
Detailed Handwriting Assessment
Focuses on functional skill: Directly assesses handwriting, which is crucial for academic success. This includes grip, letter formation, spacing, and speed.
Pinpoints specific handwriting issues: Helps OTs identify whether difficulties stem from fine motor skills, visual-motor integration, or other factors.
Provides targeted recommendations: Allows for the development of specific interventions or accommodations, such as using assistive technology or extra time for written tasks.
Parental and School Questionnaires
Contextual insight: Gathers critical information about the child’s behaviour, skills, and challenges in different environments (home vs. school), providing a broader perspective on their functional abilities.
Collaborative approach: Encourages collaboration between OTs, parents, and teachers, ensuring that interventions are meaningful and relevant to the child’s daily life.
Monitors real-world impact: Offers feedback on how well therapeutic interventions are working in practical, everyday situations.
Advantages of Using These Tests in Combination:
• Holistic Picture: Combining these assessments gives OTs a complete view of the child’s motor, sensory, and functional abilities.
• Multidimensional Approach: Allows OTs to assess a child from multiple angles, ensuring that all aspects of motor coordination, sensory processing, and functional skills are covered.
• Informs Comprehensive Interventions: Each test contributes to understanding different aspects of the child’s abilities, ensuring that intervention plans are highly personalized and cover all areas of need.
