Comparison of Two Methods for Determining Change in Motorically Handicapped Children

Abstract

The concurrent validity and sensitivty to change in motorically handicapped children were compared for a standardized test and individual treatment goals. Fifty-four children (0-3) enrolled in early intervention programs were pretested using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS). One or two developmental motor goals for each child were put into Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) format to allow progress toward the goals to be quantified. The difficulty of the goals was also adjusted for each child's developmental rate. Change scores were obtained for each by subtracting the pre-test scores from six month post-test scores.