Motor Skill Assessment in Children and Adolescents

Children’s motor skill proficiency is essential for healthy behavior. A lack of motor proficiency affects children’s confidence in their capabilities, causing them to avoid games due to social comparison, isolate themselves from peers, and become less engaged in physical activities and sports. Individual constraints and poor environmental opportunities for participation and practice are factors associated with motor delays; delays must be detected early in life to provide children with better opportunities for potential development. Several assessments have been used in educational and clinical settings and research. Professionals must understand the potential and weakness of these tools to assess children and promote development and health. This chapter provides (a) the critical role of assessing motor skills to promote development and health worldwide; (b) a comprehensive review of the most commonly used motor assessments for children and adolescents; their relevance, strengths, and weaknesses; and guidelines for identifying appropriate assessments. The focus will be the assessment used worldwide with established psychometric properties (validity and reliability) in the original samples as well as across different cultures, with norm-referenced values applicable to children (from birth to schoolchildren) and adolescents, and with well-known documented application in research, educational, and clinical settings.