Assessments for Motor Skills

Students may experience motor skill challenges during school activities (e.g., coordination, fine motor, hand skills, using scissors and/or pencils). These activities may occur in the classroom, in the playground, or during sporting/club events. Occupational therapists must assess the impact of these motor challenges on the student's educational success and their desire to attend/participate in school.

This list is by no means exclusive of common assessments that evaluate motor skills in the schools.

Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS)

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Type: Performance based
Key Areas Assessed: Gross and fine motor skills
Age Range: 0-5.11 years old
Description: Standardized tool comprised of fine and gross motor items in 5 subtests: body control, body transport, object control, hand manipulation, and eye-hand coordination.
- Supplemental subtest: physical fitness
Latest Edition: 3rd ed.

Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT)

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Type: Comprehensive assessment of motor proficiency
Key Areas Assessed: Motor performance
Age Range: 4-21 years old
Description: Standardized tool used to assess fine and gross motor skills in 8 subtests: fine-motor precision, fine-motor integration, manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, balance, speed/agility, upper-limb coordination, and strength.
Latest Edition: 2nd ed.