Dyspraxia Battery

About Dyspraxia Battery Android App

Finally a comprehensive app is available to test Dyspraxia. This app has been years in development. The app presentation provides the videos and pictures needed to make standardized administration available to therapists for clients with dyspraxia.

The Dyspraxia Battery (DB-1) provides the resources to assess praxis on five different scales capturing components of skills needed that clinically we have found to be mastered by typical developing children 5 years olds or any typical adult.

A. Name Action/Meaning to Video Gesture: This test determines if the individual recognizes common gestures and can expressively label them.

B. Imitate Gesture to Video Gesture: This test determines if an individual can imitate accurately commonly performed gestures presented by video.

C. Pick Associated Picture to Video Gesture: This test determines if an individual can pick the correct picture of the associated object to a common motion or actively presented by video.

D. Associated Gesture to Picture Cue: This test determines if an individual can perform the motion associated with a commonly used object presented in picture form.

E. Gesture to Verbal Cue: This test determines if the individual can perform a common gesture on verbal request.

F. Perform Action to Verbal Cue: This test determines if an individual can perform common actions on verbal request.

Target Population: This test is geared for individuals 5 years or older showing deficits in motor planning skills or ideomotor dyspraxia. It is a test that can be given over time to show progress in praxis.

Administration: On subtests A, D, E and F, skills are rated as 0 (unable or extremely limited in the capability of performing the skill), 1 (partially able to perform the skills), or as 2 (capable or beyond the level of this skill). Subtest B may be scored with simplified or detailed scoring. See the instruction for that subtest. Subtest C is simply rated as 1 (correct picture chosen) or 0 (incorrect picture chosen). Scoring provides the determined percentage of points received of the total available on each of the subtests and the breakdown of the percentage of each answer category. A battery average of the individual subtest success percentages will also be given.
Time Required: The time required for administration depends on several factors including the age of the individual, and the level of disability/organization of the individual. The battery can, however, be completed in 45 minutes when administered by an experienced therapist and with a cooperative and well modulated individual.

Limitations: Many of the movements involved in the performance of subtests A, B, D, E and F require bilateral hand movements that would be difficult for an individual who has a unilateral impairment. Several of the items were meant to be performed in standing, but many could be adapted to a sitting position. Because several of the videos have facial cues in addition to limb cues, this test cannot be used to assess strict limb ideomotor dyspraxia. On some level all of the subtests include components of cognitive, visual or language skills (either receptively or expressively) either in the directions provided or in the performance of the test. A limitation in language, vision, cooperation, attention or cognitive skills could easily affect an individual’s performance on this battery. Similarly, motor skills are required in some form on all of the subtests. Items should be skipped if the individual is physically incapable of performing the actions required. Some of the items are based on common American culture and could be unfamiliar to individuals with different customs or culture. The battery could be used only in a very restricted way and in a modified form with individuals with severe physical movement capabilities. No standardized scores are available at this time. We hope data will be collected to provide this information in the future.