{"id":17679,"date":"2025-04-11T19:01:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T18:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/?p=17679"},"modified":"2025-04-11T20:30:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T19:30:25","slug":"5-keys-to-assessing-motor-development-in-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/5-keys-to-assessing-motor-development-in-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Keys to Assessing Motor Development in Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]Yes, I know\u2014you\u2019ve got scales.
Yes, they\u2019re reliable and validated.
Yes, they give you an objective measure of the baby\u2019s development compared to others of the same age and population.
Yes, they allow you to clearly communicate your results within an interdisciplinary team.
Yes, they give you the objectivity that supports your professional opinion.<\/p>\n

Alright!
\nBut even when using scales, there are tricks.
Tricks that make your assessment easier.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take the\u00a0Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS)<\/strong>
\u2014probably\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0gold standard when it comes to evaluating motor and postural behavior.
(That\u2019s why we designed a specific training focused entirely on this scale.)
And even with this scale, there are tricks that make things easier.<\/p>\n

Here are several tips that will make your assessment more reliable and help you get it done in less time<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

1. Keep your distance from the baby<\/h3>\n

If the baby is older than 6 months, keep some physical distance. Don\u2019t get too close. At this age, they start to recognize themselves as social beings and begin distinguishing \u201cstrangers.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re too close, you can influence their spontaneous behavior\u2014which is one of the keys of the scale.
Under 6 months, it\u2019s not as relevant, but over that age, respect their space. Let the baby be the one who gradually chooses to interact with you.
\nAsk the caregiver to place or undress the baby. Give clear instructions on what kind of stimuli to offer and where.
This way, you\u2019ll get much more out of the scale.<\/p>\n

2. Watch the lighting and avoid overstimulation<\/h3>\n

Run the assessment in a quiet place, with not too many toys, not too many colors, not too many sounds, no irritating ceiling lights\u2014just not\u00a0too much<\/em>\u00a0of anything.
\n<\/strong>Many babies are hyperreactive to different stimuli and can easily become uncomfortable or irritated.
Sometimes we think a pediatric physio clinic should be like a three-ring circus with elephants and everything.
But no\u2026 sometimes,\u00a0less is more<\/em>.<\/p>\n

3. Ask the family<\/h3>\n

For example: they roll over well but don\u2019t grab their feet\u2014though they do touch their knees.\u00a0<\/strong>Ask the family if they\u2019ve seen the baby in that position you\u2019re not observing.
If they say yes, ask for a photo or video from that same afternoon at home.
Then you can complete the scoring.
But it can\u2019t be from two days ago\u2014same day only.<\/p>\n

4. Take off the onesie or pajamas\u2014for goodness\u2019 sake<\/h3>\n

Babies need freedom to move. Many onesies or pajamas (as they\u2019re called in Spain) are already too small.\u00a0<\/strong>The baby in that tight clothing lifts their head less, moves with more effort.
Do the assessment in a diaper or even naked if you want\u2014but\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0in clothing.
It may seem silly, but it makes a big difference.
Oh, and in some countries those oversized, washable cloth diapers are trending\u2014and they totally block proper hip movement.
Take them off too or you won\u2019t see what the baby can really do.<\/p>\n

5. When in doubt\u2026 sorry\u2026 they don\u2019t do it<\/h3>\n

I get it\u2014baby physios and PTs are hopeful people. We\u2019re optimistic.<\/strong>
The problem is, we often see the baby\u2019s potential more than the actual reality.\u00a0<\/strong>If the baby\u00a0seems<\/em>\u00a0like they want to do something but\u00a0doesn\u2019t<\/em>\u2026 it\u2019s simple: they\u00a0don\u2019t<\/em>.
If you\u2019re unsure, ask for a video from that same day\u2014but if you don\u2019t have it\u2026 you don\u2019t have it.
Your job will be to help the baby do it\u2014and do it\u00a0easily<\/em>.
But don\u2019t be too nice\u2026 be objective.
Have faith in your treatment\u2026 not in your assessment.<\/p>\n

The online course on motor development assessment will be available by the end of April.
You won\u2019t get another chance. Feel if it\u2019s the right fit for you.<\/p>\n

Big hug![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]Yes, I know\u2014you\u2019ve got scales.Yes, they\u2019re reliable and validated.Yes, they give you an objective measure of the baby\u2019s development compared to others of the same age and population.Yes, they allow you to clearly communicate your results within an interdisciplinary team.Yes, they give you the objectivity that supports your professional opinion. Alright! But even when using scales, there are tricks.Tricks that make your assessment easier. Let\u2019s take the\u00a0Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS)\u2014probably\u00a0the\u00a0gold standard when it comes to evaluating motor and postural behavior.(That\u2019s why we designed a specific training focused entirely on this scale.)And even with this scale, there are tricks that make things easier. Here are several tips that will make your assessment more reliable and help you get it done in less time 1. Keep your distance from the baby If the baby is older than 6 months, keep some physical distance. Don\u2019t get too close. At this age, they start to recognize themselves as social beings and begin distinguishing \u201cstrangers.\u201d If you\u2019re too close, you can influence their spontaneous behavior\u2014which is one of the keys of the scale.Under 6 months, it\u2019s not as relevant, but over that age, respect their space. Let the baby be the one who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":17688,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17679"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17714,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17679\/revisions\/17714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmpi-pimt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}