Concurrent Validity of Two Standardized Measures of Gross Motor Function in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

Aims: This study provides information on how two standardized measures based on different theoretical frameworks can be used in collecting information on motor development and performance in 4- and 5-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of the study was to determine the concurrent validity of the Miller Function and Participation Scales (M-FUN) with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2) in young children with ASD. Methods: The gross motor sections of the PDMS-2 and the M-FUN were administered to 22 children with ASD between the ages of 48 and 71 months. Concurrent validity between overall motor scores and agreement in identification of motor delay were assessed. Results: A very strong correlation (Pearson's r =.851) was found between the M-FUN scale scores and the PDMS-2 gross motor quotients (GMQs). Strong agreement in identification of children with average motor skills and delayed motor skills at 1.5 standard deviations below the mean was also found. Conclusions: This study supports the concurrent validity of the M-FUN with the PDMS-2 for young children with ASD. While both tests provide information regarding motor delay, the M-FUN may provide additional information regarding the neurological profile of the child.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism
• Motor skills
• Preschool
• Validity
• M-FUN
• PDMS-2

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Leslie Simms, OTR/L, E. Morghen Sikes, OTR/L, and Ashley Cooper for their assistance with data collection.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by a Promotional of Doctoral Studies II Scholarship from the Foundation for Physical Therapy. Research reported in this publication was also supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 2T32HD071866-06. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.