Responsiveness of the Test of Basic Motor Skills of Children with Down Syndrome

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Physical Therapy
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Motor Skill Assessment

Background:

• Down syndrome is associated with developmental delays, particularly in gross motor skills.
• Accurate and responsive assessment tools are crucial for monitoring progress and guiding interventions in children with Down syndrome.
• The Test of Basic Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome (BMS) is a potential tool for evaluating motor development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the responsiveness of the Test of Basic Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome (BMS) in children aged 3 to 36 months.
• To compare the responsiveness of the BMS with the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM).
• To assess the correlation between BMS score changes and external ratings of change.

Main Methods:

• Forty-one children with Down syndrome (3-36 months) participated.
• Gross motor skills were assessed using BMS and GMFM at three time points over 16 weeks.
• Responsiveness was analyzed using Guyatt's Responsiveness Index (GRI) and 2x2 repeated measures.

Main Results:

• The BMS demonstrated large responsiveness (GRI = 2.55).
• BMS responsiveness was comparable to GMFM, with no significant difference found.
• BMS scores increased significantly more in younger children (< or = 2 years).
• BMS score changes correlated with parent ratings but not physiotherapist ratings.

Conclusions:

• The BMS is a responsive measure for gross motor development in infants and young children with Down syndrome.
• The BMS can be utilized to track motor skill changes in this population.
• Further research may explore the utility of the BMS in conjunction with other assessment tools and rater perspectives.