PsyMot: an instrument for psychomotor diagnosis and indications for psychomotor therapy in child psychiatry

Abstract

Psychomotor therapy is a movement-oriented and body-oriented therapy which resembles dance movement psychotherapy, although some differences remain. Despite historical differences, theoretical backgrounds as well as practical methods of both therapies converge at large. Both fields are in need of assessment development to support diagnosis and treatment. In this article, we present a recently developed systematic tool for psychomotor assessment and diagnosis of children, the PsyMot. The construction of this instrument was inspired by the International Classification of Functioning, children's version, of the World Health Organization. The PsyMot consists of an assessment procedure, guidelines for scoring items and a computer program for converting item scores into scores for clusters of treatment goals. Initial studies suggest that the PsyMot has adequate psychometric qualities, but further research is needed. Possibilities for the use of the PsyMot in different groups are currently being explored.