Using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills as Part of the Diagnostic Process in An Inner-City Learning Disability Service

Abstract

Learning disability is characterized by significant impairment of both intellectual function and social and adaptive function, with onset before adulthood, and yet social and adaptive function is often omitted from assessment processes. This practice analysis explores the feasibility of administering the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills to assess adaptive function (alongside the assessment of intellectual function) as part of the diagnostic process for people with a learning disability. After a 2-year period, scores for the two assessments were correlated and a low level of correlation was found. Findings suggested that the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills should continue to be used as part of the diagnostic process alongside assessments of intellectual function, because assessment of intellectual function alone does not predict adaptive function and cannot be relied on for diagnosis of learning disability; doing so would ensure that practice was evidence based.