Psychometric properties of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Checklist as a screening instrument for children with a developmental co-ordination disorder

Abstract

The Checklist of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) was developed to screen children for movement difficulties in the school situation. The psychometric properties of the M-ABC Checklist were investigated including its usefulness as a screening instrument. Subjects included a group of 120 children, 6 to 11 years old, and a group of 64 children, 6 to 9 years old. A reliability analysis was performed to investigate whether the 48 items of the Checklist measure the same construct. Construct validity was investigated by means of a factor analysis. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the Checklist were investigated by comparing the performance of children on both the Test and Checklist of the M-ABC. The items of the Checklist measure the same construct. The Checklist measures a broad range of motor skills. The Checklist met the standards for sensitivity in all age groups, except in the 8-year-old group. With the exception of the 6-year-old children, specificity was poor. The positive predictive value was acceptable, except for the 7-year-old children. The Checklist proved to meet standards for reliability and most aspects of validity. Its use by teachers for screening children with movement difficulties can be recommended.