Establishing validity of a modified Melbourne Assessment for children ages 2 to 4 years.

BACKGROUND The Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function is a valid tool for measuring quality of upper-limb movement in children ages 5 to 15 with cerebral palsy. This study presents the first phase in establishing the validity of a modified version of the assessment for children ages 2 to 4. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether children without neurological impairment scored within the top 5% on the modified assessment, to investigate compliance with test demands, and to investigate the relationship between the modified tool and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test. METHOD The test was modified and administered to 32 children without neurological impairment ages 2 to 4. RESULTS All children ages 2.5 to 4 scored as expected and were compliant with test demands. CONCLUSION The Modified Melbourne Assessment may be used with children ages 2.5 to 4 without neurological impairment. Investigation with children with neurological impairment is now indicated.