Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) for Cerebral Palsy
Clinicians use the GMFM to assess gross motor skills in children with cerebral palsy. This observational tool tracks changes in movement abilities over time to support treatment planning.
Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)
Designed for children with cerebral palsy, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) is a standardised observational tool. It evaluates motor skills ranging from lying and rolling to walking and jumping. This instrument helps clinicians track developmental changes, ensuring therapy goals are met effectively.
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What is Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)
The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) is a key tool for assessing motor skills in children with cerebral palsy, tracking changes over time. This clinical assessment observes how much of a task a child can do rather than the quality of their movement. It focuses on the quantity of movement across specific developmental milestones. Therapists evaluate items across five distinct dimensions, ranging from lying and rolling to walking, running, and jumping. Each item gets scored on a simple four-point scale, checking if the child completes the task fully, partially, or not at all. Available in 88-item or 66-item versions, it fits various clinical needs. The test takes about 45 minutes and requires a large mat plus some stairs. It is highly useful for setting therapy goals and checking if interventions like physio are truly working for the child’s daily mobility.
The Gross Motor Function Measure can be scored using two main approaches: the comprehensive 88 item version and the Rasch analysed 66 item method. 1. GMFM-88: You score items on a 4 point scale from 0 to 3 across five dimensions, covering skills from lying down to jumping. Clinicians calculate percentage scores for each dimension and average them for a total score, which is handy for kids with lower motor function. 2. GMFM-66: This approach uses the Gross Motor Ability Estimator software to turn ordinal scores into an interval scale. It maps a child's ability level on a 0 to 100 continuum, making it easier to track progress over time.
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