Research Report Applicability of the Hierarchical Scales of the Tufts Assessment of Motor Performance for School-Aged Children and Adults with Disabilities Key Words: Assessment, Disability, Functional assessment, Motor performance, Test construction. The relative dtficulty of motor performance tasksfor school-aged children and adults with physical disabilities within a standardized motor performance test was examined. The Tufrs Assessment of Motor Performance (TAMP) was administered to 69 children (ages 6-18 years, F= 12.1, SD=3.9) and 137 adults (ages 19-83 Motor performance testing by physical efficacy data.' In contrast to general therapists in rehabilitation programs outcome measures, performance- is a major source of evaluation and based assessments focus on a detailed Stephen M Haley Larry H Ludlow - SM Haley, PhD, PT, is Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111, and Director of Research, Depanment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical Reha- bilitation Research and Training Center in Rehabilitation and Childhood Trauma, New England Medical Center Hospitals, 750 Washington St, #75K-R, Boston, MA 02111-1901 (USA). Address all correspondence to Dr Haley at the second address years, y=46 7, SD=20.0) with neurological and musculoskeletal impairments. The pu?pose of the study was to determine whether the hierarchical scales of the motor p@ormance tasks between the pediatric and adult disability samples were congruent. Correlations of task dzficulty calibrations (r=. 76; Pc.01) and task rank ordm'ng (rho =. 76; P<.OI) were moderately high and positive between pedi- at& and adult subjects. SigniJcant age-group d~ferences emerged in relation to a number of individual motor performance tasks. In general, mobility and ambu- lation tasks were relatively easier for children, whereas manipulation tasks were relatively easier for adults. The data suggest a strong similarity in the overall pat- tern of motor p@ormance task dzficulty for children and adults. The results sup- port the use by physical therapists of two parallel versions of the TAMP to describe the motor perfomnce of adults and school-aged children with physical disabili- ties. [Haley SM, L d l o w LH. Applicability of the hierarchical scales of the Tufrs A- sesmzent of Motor Performance for school-aged children and adults with disabili- ties. Phys Ther. 1992; 72:191-206.1 analysis of component behaviors that measure the capacity of the individual to perform discrete functional tasks.2 Performance-based assessments for children and adults are used to guide initial treatment planning and to pro- vide a detailed analysis of motor com- ponents that are related to successful rehabilitation 0utcomes.3~~ Many stan- dardized tests of motor performance LH Ludlow, PhD, is Associate Professor, Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation Pro- are available to physical -therapists for gram, School of Education, Boston College, Boston, MA 02167. specific pediatric (eg, Bruininks- Osteresky Test of Motor Proficiency5) This study was approved by the Human Investigations Review Committee, New England Medical Center Hospitals. or adult (eg, Fugl-Meye@) popula- tions: however. none have been This research was funded in part by Grants GO0830042 and H133B80009, National Institute on Dis- Shown to be applicable for motor ability and Rehabilitation Research, US Depanment of Education. assessment across the life span. This article was submitted March I, 1991, and was accepted October 11, 1991. 34/191 Physical Therapyllrolume 72, Number 3March 1992