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Remote assessment of infant motor development: concurrent validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale
Mickaelly Aisha Dos Santos1, Sheila Cristina da Silva Pacheco1, Amanda Dos Santos Erhardt1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Programa de Pós-graduação em Fisioterapia, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Insights
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.
Background:
Early detection of motor development delays is essential for timely intervention. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a widely used for assessing gross motor development. However, this tool has not been validated for use in telehealth settings.
Purpose:
To investigate the concurrent validity of the AIMS when applied via telehealth and video recording, compared to standard face-to-face assessment.
Materials And Method:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 infants (0-18 months). AIMS assessments were performed simultaneously using three modalities: (1) face-to-face, (2) telehealth via synchronous video calls, and (3) video recording using a fixed camera. Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analyses assessed validity and agreement across methods.
Results:
All modalities indicated excellent correlations (r ≥ 0.84, p < 0.001). The Bland-Altman analysis showed low bias and acceptable agreement across all comparisons. No significant differences were found between methods in subscale scores, total scores, or percentile ranks.
Conclusion:
The AIMS demonstrates strong concurrent validity and agreement when administered via telehealth and video recording. These alternative formats offer clinically reliable options for monitoring infant motor development, especially in contexts where in-person evaluations are impractical. The findings support broader integration of remote developmental surveillance into routine pediatric health systems.
Impact Statement:
Remote administration of the AIMS via telehealth and video recording demonstrates strong validity as a screening tool for early motor development. This modality enhances accessibility, particularly in geographically isolated or resource-limited settings. High inter-method agreement among face-to-face, telehealth, and video-recorded assessments confirms the reliability and consistency of AIMS across modalities. This supports its use in diverse clinical and research contexts without compromising measurement integrity. The multi-modal applicability of AIMS facilitates flexible and scalable service delivery models in pediatric rehabilitation. This adaptability promotes more efficient allocation of clinical resources and broadens the reach of developmental surveillance programs.
