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Construction and validation of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS)
M C Piper1, L E Pinnell, J Darrah
1Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
Insights
The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) assesses gross motor development in infants from birth to walking. This observational scale demonstrates reliability and validity for tracking infant motor maturation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
- Infant Motor Development
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Gross motor skills are crucial for infant development.
- Standardized assessments are needed to track motor maturation accurately.
- The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was developed to address this need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and validation of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).
- To establish the reliability and validity of the AIMS for assessing infant gross motor skills.
Main Methods:
- The AIMS was created with 58 items across four positions (prone, supine, sitting, standing).
- Content validation involved surveys of pediatric physical therapists and expert consultation.
- Reliability and validity were tested on 506 infants (birth to 18 months), including those with motor concerns.
Main Results:
- Test-retest and inter-rater reliability estimates were calculated.
- Correlations between AIMS scores and established motor scales (Bayley, Peabody) were examined.
- Items were scaled according to age for normal motor development progression.
Conclusions:
- The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a validated tool for assessing gross motor development in infants.
- The AIMS provides reliable and valid measures of infant motor maturation.
- The scale aids in identifying developmental trajectories and potential motor disorders.
Abstract:
The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), an observational assessment scale, was constructed to measure gross motor maturation in infants from birth through independent walking. Based upon the literature, 58 items were generated and organized into four positions: prone, supine, sitting and standing. Each item describes three aspects of motor performance--weight-bearing, posture and antigravity movements. Content validation of the instrument was accomplished through a mail survey of Canadian pediatric physical therapists and consultation with an international panel of experts. Five hundred and six infants, age-stratified from birth through 18 months, participated in the reliability and validity testing of the AIMS. In addition, 20 infants who were experiencing abnormal motor development and 50 infants at risk for motor disorders were assessed and compared with the results of the full-term sample. Results to be presented include: 1) test-retest and inter-rater reliability estimates; 2) correlations between the AIMS and the Bayley and Peabody motor scores; and 3) scaling of the items along the age continuum for normal motor development.