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Published on: June 12, 2019
Interrater reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children
Bouwien Cm Smits-Engelsman1, Marlene J Fiers, Sheila E Henderson
1Motor Control Lab, Division of Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. bouwiensmits@hotmail.com
Insights
Pediatric physical therapists showed high agreement when scoring the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). This indicates reliable motor performance assessments in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Motor development assessment
Background:
- The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) is a standard tool for evaluating children's motor skills.
- M-ABC scores are crucial for identifying motor impairments or risks in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the interrater reliability of the M-ABC when scored by pediatric physical therapists in clinical practice.
- To validate the consistency of M-ABC scoring across different clinicians.
Main Methods:
- Videotaped M-ABC performances of 9 children (ages 4-12) were reviewed.
- 131 pediatric physical therapists and an expert rater scored the assessments.
- Participants rated children across all M-ABC age bands.
Main Results:
- Therapists demonstrated very high agreement in classifying children's motor performance.
- Kappa coefficients ranged from .95 to 1.00, signifying excellent reliability.
- The findings support the M-ABC's consistency in clinical use.
Conclusions:
- Observed errors in M-ABC scoring were categorized as general test-related or specific to the M-ABC.
- The study confirms the M-ABC's high interrater reliability among pediatric physical therapists.
- Results suggest the M-ABC is a dependable tool for motor assessment in children.
Background And Purpose:
The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) is a widely used, standardized assessment of motor performance in children. The total score obtained on this test often is used to identify children who are either definitely impaired or at risk for motor impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine the interrater reliability of data for the M-ABC when scored by pediatric physical therapists working in routine clinical settings.
Subjects And Methods:
For 9 children who were referred to clinical settings for an assessment of possible movement difficulties, performance on the appropriate age band of the M-ABC was videotaped. The 9 children, one at each age from 4 through 12 years, represented all ages covered by the test. The videotaped performances were rated according to the test instructions by 131 pediatric physical therapists with a range of experience and by an expert rater who developed the Dutch version of the test.
Results:
The average agreement between therapists in their classification of the children was very high. The kappa coefficients for the 9 videos ranged from .95 to 1.00.
Discussion And Conclusion:
Errors made by the therapists could be classified as those that might be common to all tests and those that are specific to the M-ABC.
