Motor development of native American children on the peabody developmentalmotor scales

Objective. Native American children have not been widely represented in the normative samples of standardized tests assessing motor development. This study investigated the cultural relevance of the Peabody Developmental Moto r Scales (PDMS) in 2-year-old Native American children who are typically de veloping. Method. The PDMS was administered to a sample of 44 Pueblo children who wer e 24 months through 35 months of age and typically developing. Each childs family also completed a parent questionnaire addressing the child's develop ment and family demographics. Participant scores were compared with those o f the normative sample. Results. The sample scored significantly lower than the normative sample (p less than or equal to .001) on the Fine Motor Scale, and when gender was t aken into consideration all but the older girls (30 months-35 months of age ) had significantly lower scores. All but the younger girls (24 months-29 m onths of age) scored within the normal range an the Grass Motor Scale. Conclusion. Our results with this small sample suggest that caution be used when comparing motor performance (especially fine motor abilities) of 2-ye ar-old Native American children against the PDMS normative data.