Poor co-ordination in 5 year olds: a screening test for use in schools

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Motor Skill Assessment
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Poor motor coordination affects a significant number of young children.
• Early identification is crucial for timely intervention and support.
• Existing assessment tools can be time-consuming and require specialized personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, standardized screening test for motor coordination in 5-year-olds.
• To identify specific gross and fine motor skills that best differentiate between typically developing and poorly coordinated children.
• To create a tool that is accessible for use by teachers, nurses, and doctors.

Main Methods:

• Development of the South Australian Motor Co-ordination Screening Test (SAM Test) with explicit pass/fail criteria.
• Comparison with the McCarthy Motor Scales to select a cohort of 60 poorly coordinated and 60 normal children.
• Administration of 19 gross and fine motor skill items to the selected cohort.
• Statistical analysis to identify the most discriminating items.

Main Results:

• The SAM Test demonstrated a 90% accuracy in classifying children.
• Five gross motor items were identified as most effective discriminators: one-leg balancing, hopping, heel-toe walking, jumping over a ribbon, and dropping/catching a ball.
• The SAM Test is suitable for use by non-specialists.

Conclusions:

• The SAM Test provides a valid and reliable method for screening motor coordination in 5-year-olds.
• The identified gross motor skills are key indicators of coordination difficulties.
• The accessibility of the SAM Test facilitates early detection and intervention for children with motor coordination challenges.