Assessment Of Gross Motor Skills Research Articles

Assessment of Gross Motor Skills in Ponseti-treated Children With Idiopathic Clubfoot at 3 Years Old: Insights from the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale 2.

Congenital talipes equinovarus, or clubfoot, can lead to lifelong functional impairments, including diminished gross motor skills (GMS), if left untreated. The Ponseti method corrects idiopathic clubfoot through casting and bracing. Given the importance of GMS in childhood development, this technique must be optimized to support childhood and long-term health outcomes. This study examined immediate posttreatment GMS in 3-year-old children treated with Ponseti, hypothesizing that they would perform on par with their nonclubfoot peers. Data from 45 children (33 to 46mo of age) treated for idiopathic clubfoot were analyzed. The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition, was used to assess GMS, and logistic regression identified factors influencing Gross Motor Quotient (GMQ) scores. Approximately half (n=22) of the patients exhibited below-average GMS (11th to 25th percentile), with 11 scoring below the 10th percentile. Initial deformity severity, gender, and cast numbers did not impact GMQ. Repeat percutaneous tenotomy was associated with lower GMQs. Brace compliance significantly reduced odds of low GMQs by up to 80%. Age at testing and additional surgery were also linked to below-average and poor GMQs. GMS appeared to be impaired in almost half of the 3-year-old patients treated for idiopathic clubfoot, so our hypothesis was disproven. Repeat percutaneous tenotomy was associated with lower GMS, necessitating future recognition of patients who might be at risk of relapse. Brace noncompliance emerged as a significant risk factor, emphasizing early identification of these patients and education for their parents. This study offers a benchmark for clinicians and parents, but research on long-term outcomes is needed. Level II, prospective cohort study.

IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ON THE USE OF TGMD-2

Physical education, sports, and health teachers at elementary schools are obliged to teach their students about the correct basic movements. The basic movements that become the material for elementary school students are part of gross motor skills. The correct movement can be known well if the assessment is based on the process of the movement. The gross motor quality of students can be known by using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). TGMD-2 is a gross motor skill test instrument for children from 3 to 9 years of age. This age range still represents elementary school students in grades 1 to 3. The assessment on the TGMD-2 is based on the correctness of the students’ movements. Assessment based on the correct movement requires intensive mentorship so that teachers can understand the use of test instrument indicators. The mentorship lasted for 8 hours per day with practical material. The implementation of practice-based mentorship provides real experience for teachers in implementing TGMD-2. After undergoing mentorship activities, 88% of teachers have a percentage increase in test results above 90%. This increase shows the potential for successful use of TGMD-2 independently by the teacher and can improve the quality of the assessment of gross motor skills carried out by the teacher.

Description of the algorithms for testing the horizontal jump in a computerized testing system of gross motor skills

Assessment of gross motor skills is important for children, youths, and adults and can be beneficial for the study and diagnosis of different health conditions. The classical tools are mainly administered by operators. A computerized system using sensors to assess gross motor skills could enhance these tools, providing consistency of measurement, reduce human error, and automate data collection. As part of a computerized system to measure gross motor skills using the Kinect™, we present the details of algorithms developed to test the “horizontal jump” (HJ). These algorithms were developed by translating the performance criteria into equations for the coordinates of anatomical landmarks, describing the expected kinematic behaviour of relevant body parts. Our test results show that the algorithms successfully evaluated the performance criteria.

Validity of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire to identify young children with gross motor difficulties who require physiotherapy assessment.

To determine if the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition Gross Motor domain (ASQ-3-GM) score is predictive of motor performance on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and/or Neurological, Sensory, Motor, Developmental Assessment (NSMDA). This was a cross-sectional study involving analysis of a 1-year consecutive clinical sample of data obtained from children attending a specialist public outpatient service. Participants were 84 children aged 0 to 5 years (mean age 24.9mo, SD 18.4mo; 50 males, 34 females) referred for physiotherapy assessment of gross motor skills in a tertiary child development service. Parents completed the ASQ-3 questionnaire and children were assessed using the AIMS (if aged 0-18mo) and/or NSMDA (all children). To determine possible relationships between ASQ-3-GM scores with AIMS and NSMDA scores, we calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. To determine validity of the ASQ-3-GM 'refer for further assessment' ('refer') cut-off score to identify gross motor difficulties we calculated frequency distributions and crosstab analyses. ASQ-3-GM scores correlated with AIMS centile rank (r=0.697, p<0.001) and NSMDA motor performance classification (r=-0.548, p<0.001). The ASQ-3-GM 'refer' cut-off had 77% sensitivity, 91% specificity, and 95% positive predictive value (PPV) to identify children that scored ≤10th centile on the AIMS and 57% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 97% PPV to identify children with at least minimal dysfunction on the NSMDA. The ASQ-3-GM 'refer' cut-off score is a valid predictor of gross motor difficulties in young children. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition Gross Motor domain (ASQ-3-GM) score is valid to identify gross motor difficulties in young children. The ASQ-3-GM 'refer' cut-off had 95% positive predictive value (PPV) for children that scored ≤10th centile on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. The ASQ-3-GM 'refer' cut-off had 97% PPV for at least minimal dysfunction on the Neurological, Sensory, Motor, Developmental Assessment.

Assessment of gross motor skills in primary schools children from the Czech Republic

Assessment of gross motor skills in primary schools children from the Czech Republic

Association of risk factors with the development of gross motor skills

Introduction:Proper development of gross motor skills in early childhood is considered as an important factor for the child’s development.Objectives:To determine the risk factors that influence the development of gross motor skills in children from 1 to 5 years of age from Neiva, Huila, Colombia.Methods:This was a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study. The sample was composed of 240 children. The Abbreviated Development Scale (ADS) -3 was used for the assessment of gross motor skills. Furthermore, a questionnaire was designed to assess perinatal (prenatal and postnatal) risks, which was completed by mothers of children who participated in the study.Results:Around 15% of the assessed children in our study presented any risk (10.8%) or suspicion of developmental problems (3.8%) in gross motor skills. This was related to different factors including month of the first pregnancy visit, gestation time, important health conditions of the children and constant falls.Conclusion:The need for both clinical follow-up and implementation of effective health programs for children with delay in motor development should be very relevant.

A quick and qualitative assessment of gross motor development in preschool children.

There is a need for a quick, qualitative, reliable, and easy tool to assess gross motor development for practitioners. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to present the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment-Q (ZNA-Q), which assesses static and dynamic balance in children between 3 and 6years of age in less than 5min. A total of 216 children (103 boys; 113 girls; median age 4years, 4months; interquartile range 1year, 3months) were enrolled from day-care centers, kindergartens, and schools, and were tested with 5 different gross motor tasks: standing on one leg, tandem stance, hopping on one leg, walking on a straight line, and jumping sideways. All ordinal measures (consisting of qualitative measures and scales) featured a marked developmental trend and substantial inter-individual variability. Test-retest reliability was assessed on 37 children. It varied from .17 for tandem stance to .43 for jumping sideways for the individual tasks, and it was .41 and .67 for the static and dynamic balance components, respectively. For the whole ZNA-Q, test-retest reliability was .7.Conclusion: Ordinal scales enable practitioners to gather data on children's gross motor development in a fast and uncomplicated way. It offers the practitioner with an instrument for the exploration of the current developmental motor status of the child. What is Known: • Measurement of gross motor skills in the transitional period between motor mile stones and quantitative assessments is difficult. • Assessment of gross motor skills is relatively easy. What is New: • Supplementary and quick gross motor test battery for children for practitioners. • Normative values of five gross motor skills measured with ordinal scales.

Assesment of Gross Motor Skills as a Part of Child’s Physical Readiness for Compulsory School Attenadance

Children in the Czech Republic before the beginning of compulsory school attendance undergo assessment evaluating so called school readiness. The part of this evaluation is assessment of children’s biological, mental, social and emotional readiness for the demands of school education. The assessment of gross motor skills is an important part of this evaluation. But motor skills are also connected not only with academic achievement but also with physical activity in future lifestyle. Therefore is the aim of the research analysis of gross motor skills in pre-school children. The research group consisted of 232 children (102 boys, 130 girls) from kindergartens and nursery schools at the age 5,9 ± 1,63 years. For the assessment of gross motor skills was used TGMD-2 test battery. The results show strong relationship between locomotor and manipulative skills in children at pre-school age. The results indicate strong positive correlation r = 0,76 on the significance level p &lt; 0,05 between locomotor and manipulative skills. From the results is obvious that teachers in kindergartens should focus on the development of locomotor skills, which are strongly connected with manipulative skills. That means pre-school teachers should focus on basic skills and then develop them which could result in highly motor-skilled children with interest in physical games and activities. The data was obtained within the project GF_PdF_006_2018. According to preference of parents’ sedentary lifestyle the physical activity of Czech children at younger school age is lowering. Possibilities for improvement we see in the aimed development of gross motor skills in Czech kindergartens and nursery schools.

Leveling the Playing Field: Assessment of Gross Motor Skills in Low Socioeconomic Children to their Higher Socioeconomic Counterparts

Background: Fundamental movements (FM) of children influence the willingness to engage in physical activity (PA). Thus, proper FM skills are the foundation for a lifespan of PA. Objective: This study examined what factors may affect children’s PA in relation to FM pattern capabilities. Methods: The study examined the influence of SES when three low-income schools were provided additional PA opportunities on days PE was not taught. FM patterns in relation to object control (OC) and locomotor skill (LC) development were evaluated on K (n = 871), 1st (n = 893), and 2nd graders (n = 829) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) instrument (Ulrich, 2000). Schools were dichotomized and categorized as being low SES (n = 2008) and high SES (n = 578) status. Results: A significant relationship was revealed with LC (r = 0.264; p = 0.001), OC (r = 0.171; p = 0.001), and total TGMD-2 (r = 0.264; p = 0.001). Low and high SES schools significantly improved overall TGMD-2 scores. High SES schools children were significantly higher in LC [F, (2, 1272) = 29.31, p = 0.001], OC [F, (2, 1272) = 23.14, p = 0.001], and total TGMD-2 [F, (1, 1272) = 38.11, p = 0.001]. Conclusion: Low SES schools need to concentrate on PA-based activities to engage students in FM patterns, to help narrow the gap in FM capabilities. In addition, the increase in PA opportunities for lower SES schools could positively impact brain function, cardiovascular fitness, and overall well-being.

Assessment of gross motor skills and phenotype profile in children 9–11 years of age in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a new gross motor skill test battery in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children who have been off therapy for at least 1 year and to assess its discriminatory power (discriminant analysis) from healthy children. Twenty children (10 males and 10 females) 9-11 years of age (median age = 10.6 years) were assessed by the UQAC-UQAM test battery and then compared to recent provincial norms. This pilot study was also an opportunity to validate this test battery as a reliable tool for clinical or research purposes in the area of chronic or disabling diseases in children. Eleven motor skill variables grouped into five factors have been measured (speed, agility, balance, coordination, and reaction time). Scores from 10 of the 11 motor skill tests showed significant differences when compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.05). Nearly 50% of patients obtained an average score below the 15th percentile. Furthermore, stepwise discriminant analysis allowed classifying successfully 88.4% of children in the correct group (ALL or Control). The normal development of GMS among children affected by ALL appears to have been compromised. The UQAC-UQAM test battery seems to be sensitive enough to quantify with precision the extent of the motor impairment in these children. The UQAC-UQAM test battery appears to be a useful tool to evaluate the extent to which ALL survivors are affected. Early motor intervention should be considered for those patients even during the treatment periods.

Assessment of gross motor skills of at-risk infants: predictive validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.

The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a norm-referenced measure of infant gross motor development. The objectives of this study were: (1) to establish the best cut-off scores on the AIMS for predictive purposes, and (2) to compare the predictive abilities of the AIMS with those of the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) and the Peabody Developmental Gross Motor Scale (PDGMS). One hundred and sixty-four infants were assessed at 4 and 8 months adjusted ages on the three measures. A pediatrician assessed each infant's gross motor development at 18 months as normal, suspicious, or abnormal. For the AIMS, two different cut-off points were identified: the 10th centile at 4 months and the 5th centile at 8 months. The MAI provided the best specificity rates at 4 months while the AIMS was superior in specificity at 8 months. Sensitivity rates were comparable between the two tests. The PDGMS in general demonstrated poor predictive abilities.

Critical Review of the Test of Gross Motor Development.

The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) is designed to be both a norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment of gross motor skills in 3-to 10- year-old children, normal to moderately handicapped. Whether the TGMD thoroughly covers the total domain of gross motor function with its two subtests of locomotor and object control is questioned. The TGMD appears promising as a test the is easily learned and administered by a wide variety of professionals. Studies are reviewed that address the issues if the TGMD's reliability and validity. As with any formal assessment, testers need to be aware of the TGMD's strengths and weaknesses in interpreting test scores.

Teaching children with autism through task variation in physical education.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether the technique of task variation (with maintenance tasks interspersed) (TV) is more effective in the acquisition of gross motor skills for students with autism than a constant task (CT) condition in a physical education setting. Subjects were 12 male students with autism, ages 11 to 15 years. The study included pretest-posttest administration of the I CAN assessment of Gross Motor Skills to assess skills such as overhand throw, kick, and vertical jump. After a 6-week treatment period, the TV condition was significantly more effective than the CT condition, at the .05 level.

Comparison of Task Variation and Constant Task Methods for Severely Disabled in Physical Education

The purpose of the study was to determine whether the technique of task variation with maintenance tasks interspersed is more effective than a constant task condition in a physical education setting in learning gross motor skills for severely disabled individuals. The subjects for the study included 28 males, 12 autistic and 16 severely mentally retarded students, ages 10 to 14 years. The design for this study was a pretest-posttest configuration with the I Can Assessment of Gross Motor Skills utilized to assess the basic skills of overhand throw, kick, vertical jump, slide, continuous bounce, and underhand roll. Results indicated that following a 6-week treatment period the task variation with maintenance tasks interspersed condition was significantly more effective at the .01 level in learning gross motor skills than a constant task condition. However, when autistic and severely mentally retarded individuals were compared, there were no significant differences.