Remote assessment of infant motor development: concurrent validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale

Mickaelly Aisha Dos Santos ¹, Sheila Cristina da Silva Pacheco ¹, Amanda Dos Santos Erhardt ¹

⁰Department of Physical Therapy, Programa de Pós-graduação em Fisioterapia, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.

Pediatric Research +

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November 29, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is valid for telehealth and video assessments, offering reliable early motor development screening remotely. This enhances accessibility for infants, especially in remote areas.

Area Of Science

Pediatric rehabilitation
Developmental pediatrics
Telehealth research

Background

Early detection of motor development delays is crucial for timely intervention.
The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a standard tool for assessing infant gross motor development.
Validation of AIMS in telehealth settings is needed.

Purpose Of The Study

To determine the concurrent validity of the AIMS when administered via telehealth and video recording.
To compare telehealth and video-recorded AIMS assessments with standard face-to-face evaluations.

Main Methods

A cross-sectional study involved 30 infants aged 0-18 months.
AIMS assessments were conducted simultaneously via face-to-face, telehealth (synchronous video calls), and video recording.
Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess validity and agreement.

Main Results

All assessment modalities showed excellent correlations (r ≥ 0.84, p < 0.001).
Bland-Altman analysis indicated low bias and acceptable agreement across all methods.
No significant differences were observed in subscale scores, total scores, or percentile ranks between modalities.

Conclusions

The AIMS demonstrates strong concurrent validity and agreement when administered remotely via telehealth or video recording.
These remote formats provide clinically reliable options for monitoring infant motor development, particularly when in-person assessments are difficult.
Findings support integrating remote developmental surveillance into routine pediatric care, enhancing accessibility and service delivery.