The assessment of motor coordination and dexterity: test development and validation perspectives

Abstract

Problems in motor coordination are common in infancy and they may influence the child's school performance and self-stem. There are various tests designed to detect motor problems, but none of them was created and standardized for the Brazilian children. In the absence of appropriate instruments to diagnose and characterize motor problems, the children do not get assistance, increasing the risk for school failure. In this study we describe the initial steps of the creation of the Assessment of Motor Coordination and Dexterity (ACOORDEM), a test designed to detect developmental coordination disorder in children ages 4 to 8 years old. The methodology included a review of the most well known tests that are used to assess motor coordination in children and the creation of a item bank, with 349 entries. Items that were similar were discarded and the remaining were submitted to inclusion criteria, based on theoretical principles that guided the creation of the ACOORDEM. An initial version of the test was created, and its content validity was examined by panels of experts and clinicians, involved in the area of child development.