Motor Skills Assessment

Motor Skills Assessment

We offer a motor skills assessment assessing gross and fine motor skills for individuals aged 3 years to 25 years. Our assessment can identify Criteria A, B, and C of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Dyspraxia.

What are Gross Motor Skills?

Gross motor skills involve the ability to use the larger muscles in the body to execute big movements such as running, hopping, throwing, catching and kicking. These skills also serve a developmental purpose, as they are the foundations for more complex skill development. Gross motor skills contribute to muscle strength; agility and perceptual skills needed for learning.

​Good gross motor ability enables sustained upright position for desktop activities, using hand and finger movements that are dissociated from shoulder and arm, which leads to a fluent and smooth performance and appropriate fine motor skill development. Difficulties with gross motor skills impact a number of areas in daily life. Examples of how gross motor challenges may present include the following:

An individual may:

• Appear clumsy
• Appear uncoordinated
• Have difficulty using both sides of the body in a coordinated way, i.e. rowing or riding a bike
• Frequently fall or trip
• Have difficulty running or jumping
• Have difficulty with participating in sports or PE

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles, in movements—usually involving the synchronization of hands and fingers—with the eyes. The complex levels of manual dexterity that humans exhibit can be attributed to and demonstrated in tasks controlled by the nervous system.

 Fine motor skills aid in the growth of intelligence and develop continuously throughout the stages of human development. Fine motor skills are involved in smaller movements that occur in the wrists, hands, fingers, and the feet and toes. Difficulties with fine motor skills may present as follows:

• Difficulty with doing up buttons or clothes fasteners
• Difficulty with using cutlery
• Difficulty with food preparation or opening containers
• Difficulty with using a pen or pencil
• Difficulty with using scissors or other tools

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by poor motor coordination and difficulty learning motor skills in an otherwise healthy individual with a normal gross neurological examination. This condition may negatively impact the individual’s life by interfering with socialization and academic performance. Additionally, DCD can lead to executive function deficits. Individuals with DCD experience difficulty executing coordinated motor actions accurately.

A recent survey in the UK found that DCD has a significant impact on children and families. The findings revealed that children with DCD experienced academic difficulties, emotional distress, social exclusion and poor mental health and wellbeing. In addition it was found that parents felt ignored, stressed, and unsupported.

Here at the St Andrews practice, Dr Lelanie Brewer has over 2 decades of supporting children and young people with DCD, and families. Our detailed assessment will help identify the areas of difficulty that impact on participation in daily activities, and through consultation and intervention we can provide therapeutic support to help individuals with DCD thrive.

Assessments used:

The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (3rd Edition)

The Movement ABC 3  is a widely used standardised assessment tool used to identify a delay or impairment in motor development in children and young people. The occupational therapist would use this tool to assess if any motor development delay or impairment is having a detrimental impact on your child’s ability to complete age appropriate tasks at home or school.

What does the Movement ABC 3 assessment assess

The movement ABC 3 assesses fine and gross motor skills in the following three domains.

• Manual Dexterity (using your hands in a skilful way i.e. doing up buttons, doing up shoelaces)
• Aiming & Catching (ball skills)
• Balance & Locomotion (Static and dynamic balance)

On completion task, domain and total motor scores are provided. A profile of a child or young person’s performance over the different sections of the test can be examined and a ‘traffic light’ system helps map areas of strength and concern.

The assessment is paralleled by an observational approach to perceptual-motor aspects and emotional and motivational difficulties the individual may have in relation to motor tasks.

The Movement ABC-3 assessment measures the impact on your child’s occupational performance in 3 areas: home environment, school or college environment, and social behavioural.

1. Home Environment

At home, movement difficulties can make everyday tasks such as dressing, eating, or playing more challenging. The Movement ABC assessment evaluates these issues, providing practical strategies to improve daily living.

2. School Environment

Movement challenges can affect a child’s performance during physical education lessons, sports activities, and classroom participation. The Movement ABC assessment identifies areas where these difficulties impact academic performance and peer interaction, helping the occupational therapist to develop targeted interventions for your child

3. Physical and Social Impacts

The Movement ABC assessment explores the broader implications of motor difficulties, including their effect on physical development, emotional well-being, and behaviour. Children or young people may experience frustration or reduced confidence, which can lead to behavioural changes or social withdrawal.

Sensory Processing

The full assessment of gross and motor skills also includes an assessment of sensory processing to better understand the role that sensory differences play in motor difficulties. The SPM-2 is used to provide an overview of a client’s sensory functioning in the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive (body awareness), and vestibular (balance and motion) sensory systems, as well as praxis and social participation.

Why book an assessment to assess motor skills?

There are numerous benefits of booking an assessment to have motor skills formally assessed if your child has been struggling with every day activities or demonstrates any of the gross or fine motor difficulties listed above.

A motor skills assessment by our highly specialised Occupational Therapist will  help to identify the cause of any motor difficulties and lead to recommendations for support. The benefits which come from this include:

• Increased understanding following a motor skills assessment will allow strategies to be put in place to help children and young people to be happy, safe and ready for life’s challenges academically, socially and in the home environment.
• Guidance for personalised plans to support their motor development
• Identifying and incorporating strengths alongside areas of difficulty
• Increased confidence in multiple areas of life following the right support

What information will I receive following an assessment?

Following an assessment, you will receive a report and the occupational therapist will discuss with you the outcome of the assessment and how this is impacting on your child’s ability to function at home or at school. The report will contain a detailed analysis of the impact motor difficulties are having on a child or young person’s life and recommendations that will improve your daily living.

Cost of assessment

The cost of a full assessment is £695