J Yoon, DC Shin

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the Test-retest and Inter-rater reliability of the Test of Infant Motor Performance Screening Items (TIMPSI) for identifying infants who require comprehensive Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) assessment. Methods: Sixteen infants were evaluated using the TIMPSI by three experienced physical therapists. Test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing the first and second assessments, while Inter-rater reliability was determined by comparing results from different testers. Video recordings were used to mitigate stress among the infants. Results: The study found that TIMPSI significantly reduced the assessment duration compared to TIMP and demonstrated excellent reliability in both Test-retest and Inter-rater evaluations. Conclusions: TIMPSI, with its brief duration and reduced questionnaire, effectively alleviates the physical burden on infants. Its high reliability supports its use in early identification of motor development issues, potentially mitigating long-term neurodevelopmental damage in high-risk infants.