What is the primary purpose of a gross motor assessment?

The primary purpose of a gross motor assessment is to evaluate large muscle skills and coordination. Gross motor skills involve movements that engage the larger muscles in the body, such as those used for walking, running, jumping, and maintaining balance. This type of assessment helps practitioners determine the child's physical development status, identify delays or disorders, and guide interventions or therapies that may be necessary to promote overall gross motor development.

In assessing these skills, various aspects such as strength, balance, coordination, and overall mobility are taken into consideration. This information can be crucial for both educators and healthcare providers to understand how a child is progressing in their physical development compared to age-related norms.

In contrast, assessments focused on fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, or language development are intended to measure very different domains of growth and do not encompass the physical coordination and control that gross motor skills require. These other domains involve intricate movements or cognitive processing rather than the broader movements associated with gross motor development.