A 2-year follow-up study of children with motor coordination problems identified at school entry age

Children attending primary schools in Leeds were tested soon after school entry with the Standardized Motor Test Battery (SMTB), specifically designed for this study and comprising: finger tapping, peg moving, bead threading, standing on one leg, hopping and walking. Norms of motor performance are provided for each test. Seventeen children failed the SMTB and were designated to the clumsy group and then matched for age and sex with a control group of children from the survey. Observations by parents and teachers rated the clumsy children inferior to their controls in writing, sporting ability and clumsiness. The clumsy children and their controls were then followed up for a minimum of 2 years, when educational performance was assessed and motor performance reassessed. The clumsy children were found to have impaired educational attainment, particularly in writing, compared to their controls, and their motor performance although much improved was still very inferior to controls. The findings of this study suggest that the SMTB is a sensitive test for the early identification of clumsy children.