Development and validation of shoaib sensorimotor development tool for normal pediatric population

Abstract

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. Atotal 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 EFAand 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 SSDTdemonstrated 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.