Critique of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS)

Abstract

The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was developed to provide a more sensitive alternative to currently available standardized infant motor assessments that incorporates attention to features of movement deemed most critical by clinicians. It targets infants considered "at risk" for CNS dysfunction, who may display more subtle deviations in performance, so that early delays may be identified and progress over time, including following intervention services, may be tracked. This paper reviews and critiques this new instrument by providing information on the focus and characteristics on the scale itself, as well as the research conducted to identify appropriate content, to provide normative standards, and to establish the reliability and validity of the resulting treatment.