Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS3) 

Title of Assessment

Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS3) 

Author(s) 

M. Rhonda Folio, Rebecca R. Fewell 

Year of Publication/Publisher 

3rd Edition, 2023, Pro-ed 

Identify Type of Assessment 

• Norm-referenced

• Standardized

• Observation Based

• Criterion-referenced 

Cost & How to Access Assessment 

$781.00 via Pearson Assessments before taxes 

https://www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Motor-Sensory/Peabody-Developmental-Motor-Scales%2C-Third-Edition/p/P100049000.html 

Population

• Birth to 5-11, mixed populations  

• Training and Remediation of gross and fine motor skills 

Appropriate Settings

• Pediatric Outpatient setting 

• Pediatric Inpatient 

• School  

Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed 

• Assessment that provides remediation of gross and fine motor skills

• It measures interrelated motor abilities that develop in early infancy

Administration 

• It takes 60 to 90 minutes to administer

• There are subtests that can be completed individually

• Scoring can be done online or manually

• There are 5 core subtests: body control, body transport, object control, hand manipulation, and eye-hand coordination.. One supplemental subtest which is physical fitness. 

User Qualifications

• Occupational Therapist/ Health Care Professional 

Materials Required 

The complete assessment kit includes the Examiner's Manual, Guide to Item Administration, Motor Activities Program, Object Kit, Stimulus Cards, 6 in. x 6 in. Paper Pads, 25 Examiner Record Booklets, 25 Supplemental Subtest Booklets, Scoring Transparency, Peabody Motor Development Chart, 25 Peabody Motor Development Parent Charts, and access to the Online Scoring and Report System, all in a storage box. 

Scoring Procedure  

• The assessment has an examiner's manual

• The raw score will need to be translated to the standards that are located in the appendix

• The results can be added and converted to total, gross, or fine motor subtests

• Scores are identified through aspects that include the age at which 75% of the children in the normative sample mastered the item, the position the child should be in when the item is administered, the materials (if needed) for presenting the item, the procedure used to test the item, the criterion used to score the item, and the illustration of a child performing the item. 

Psychometrics/Standardization

• Great test-retest reliability and interrater reliability

• The criterion validity is great as well.  

Strengths & Weaknesses of Assessment 

Strengths  

• Identifies children’s fine and gross motor development at an early age  

• Test results are easy to understand  

• Can be administered to a wide population of children 

• Other forms are available (PDMS, PDMS-2) 

Weaknesses 

• Can be confusing for children to follow 

• Extensive time to administer  

• Not suitable for a lot of setting due to time needed to administer 

• Expensive and many materials are needed 

References 

Fewell, R. R., & Folio, R. M. (n.d.). PDMS3 Peabody Developmental Motor Scalesthird edition Testonly Kit. PRO. https://www.proedinc.com/Products/15080/pdms3-peabody-developmental-motor-scalesthird-edition-testonly-kit.aspx

Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-second edition. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. (2016, April 24). https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/peabody-developmental-motor-scales-second-edition

’ + value.name + ’. Therapro. (n.d.). https://www.therapro.com/Evaluations/Gross-Motor-Fine-Motor-Assessments/Peabody- Developmental-Motor-ScalesThird-Edition-PDMS3.html