Development and Validation of Shoaib Sensorimotor Development Tool for Normal Pediatric Population

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about developmental delays in babies were at their peak. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about developmental delays in infants and young children increased substantially. However, culturally relevant, validated tools to assess sensorimotor development are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate the Shoaib Sensorimotor Development Tool (SSDT) to evaluate developmental milestones in typically developing children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional psychometric validation study. A comprehensive tool encompassing nine domains, gross motor, fine motor, sensory, tone, balance, gait, reflexes, social interaction, and speech, was developed to assess sensorimotor development holistically. A total of 150 mothers of typically developing children aged 3 to 7 years participated in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while 300 mothers were included in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In addition, the SSDT required an average of 21 ± 6.00 minutes to complete, with administration being feasible for trained therapists following a brief workshop. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26 and AMOS for factor analysis. Model fit was evaluated with regression weights and standard fit indices (p < 0.05). Results: The mean age of mothers who participated in this study was 36.16±4.73 years, and the mean age of children was 4.45±0.784 years. Of the 150 mothers (EFA) and 300 mothers (CFA) enrolled, 144 and 288 completed the full assessment, yielding a 96% completion rate. Dropouts were minimal, 6 and 12, respectively, and the reasons have been detailed in the methods. 75 constructs were analyzed using EFA and three were removed due to cross-loading, resulting in a significant Bartlett's test (p = 0.000) and a high Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of 0.992. The final 72 constructs of SSDT formed a single factor, sensorimotor development, with a cumulative variance of 84.317% and an eigenvalue of 3.897. Fit indices indicated good model fit (CFI = 0.983, GFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.989, SRMR = 0.0325, RMSEA = 0.076). The SSDT demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.963). Conclusion: SSDT is a promising tool for early sensorimotor assessment, offering clinical, educational, and research utility; however, broader validation and longitudinal studies are needed for its universal adoption.