Motor performance checklist for 5-year-olds: a tool for identifying children at risk of developmental co-ordination disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to further evaluate the 'Motor Performance Checklist for 5-year-olds', an instrument which had been piloted with some success and reported via this journal in 1996.

METHOD

Both validity and reliability in identifying children in most need of paediatric occupational therapy services was assessed. The Motor Performance Checklist was compared against a chosen 'gold standard' test, The Bruininks-Oseretsky test of Motor Proficiency, in a group of 141 5-year-old children.

RESULTS

Correlations of 0.72 and 0.85 were found between the tests. The checklist was found to have a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 98%. Positive predictive validity was found to be 72% and negative predictive validity 99%. Interrater reliability ranged between 0.79 and 0.99 and intrarater reliability was 0.77.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the Motor Performance Checklist has the potential to assist in identifying children in most need of referral to community occupational therapy services.