The movement assessment battery for children: similarities and differences between 4- and 5-year-old children from Flanders and the United States

Purpose: To explore the possibility that 4- and 5-year-old Flemish children would perform differently from children of the same age in the US standardization sample of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). Participants: Two hundred sixty-seven 4-year-old and 239 5-year-old Flemish children without known impairments, from regular schools, took part in the study (260 boys, 246 girls). Methods: All children were individually assessed using the M-ABC. Results: The total M-ABC score of the 4-year-old children was similar to that of their peers in the United States. The 5-year-old Flemish children performed significantly better, although the effect size of the difference was very small. Of the 5-year-old children, one scored at the 5th percentile (0.4%) and 5.0% of the children scored below the 15th percentile. Conclusions: United States norms are appropriate for 4-year-old Flemish children but require adjustment if they are to identify 5-year-old Flemish children with mild motor impairment