Can the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Test be the “gold standard” for the motor assessment of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder?

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is an important risk factor in the development of children that can have a significant academic and social impact. This reinforces the need for its timely identification using appropriate assessment methods and accurate screening tests. The commonly used standardized motor test for the DCD identification is the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Test (M-ABC Test) (Henderson & Sugden, 1992). The aim of the present study was to examine if the M-ABC Test can be considered to be the “gold standard” for the motor assessment of children with the aforementioned disorder. For that purpose, a critical review of the extant literature regarding M-ABC Test's psychometric properties was conducted. Neither the test manual nor the studies reviewed provide support for the reliability and validity of the M-ABC Test results in children with DCD. Until sufficient evidence for its technical adequacy is accumulated, the M-ABC Test should not be used in isolation for children with DCD.