Motor development scale: validation for children with low vision from 7 to 10 years of age

Introduction. Children with low vision may exhibit psychomotor alterations, often requiring adaptations to support visual and motor functions. Standardized instruments to assess psychomotricity are increasingly used in clinical and research contexts. Objective. This study pioneers the validation of the Motor Development Scale (MDS) for Brazilian children aged 7 to 10 with low vision. Methods. The MDS’s psychometric properties were analysed alongside the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), both adapted for low vision. Sixty-two children (mean age 8.5 ±1.21 years) enrolled in institutions for visually impaired individuals participated. With institutional approval and parental consent, children were assessed individually by trained evaluators using the MDS and MABC-2. Internal consistency of the MDS was examined using Cronbach’s Alpha. Spearman's correlation tested convergent and divergent validity with the MABC-2. Results. The MDS showed high internal consistency (α = 0.77), with strong results in Fine Motor Skills and Spatial Organization (α = 0.82), Global Motor Skills (α = 0.81), and Temporal Organization (α = 0.77). Significant correlations emerged between MDS and MABC-2 in Fine Motor Skills and Manual Dexterity (r = 0.735; p < 0.001), Global Motor Skills and standard MABC-2 score (r = 0.714; p < 0.001), and balance in both scales (r = 0.811; p < 0.001). Conclusion. The MDS demonstrated validity and reliability for assessing motor development in children with low vision. It complements the MABC-2 and can serve as a suitable tool for evaluating specific psychomotor domains in this population.