Synonyms

Beery VMI; Developmental test of visual motor integration

Description

The Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI; Beery, Buktenica, & Beery, 2004) is designed to identify deficits in visual-motor integration, visual perception, and motor coordination. This brief paper and pencil test requires the examinee to copy geometric designs of increasing complexity arranged in a developmental sequence. The 5th edition (2004) provides standardized normative data for individuals aged 2–18 years, and more recent norms have been established using 1,021 adults aged 19–100 years. The VMI has a Full Form and a Short Form, both of which can be administered to a group or individuals in approximately 10–15 min. The Short Form, for children aged 2–7 years, has 21 items and the Full Form extends to 30 items. Each reproduction of a geometric form is scored as 1 point if correct and 0 if incorrect, with a discontinuation rule of three consecutive failures. Raw scores are converted to age-based standard scores, percentiles, and scales scores. Two optional subtests use the same stimulus forms as the VMI, the visual perception test and the motor coordination test. These subtests are useful to compare visual-motor integration efficiency to pure visual or pure motor performance.

Historical Background

The Beery VMI, originally known as the Developmental Form Sequence, began to be developed in 1961. While other design-copying measures were available, they did not comprise a sequence of designs that increased in complexity or that reflected normal development. Keith Beery believed that visual-motor integration correlated with academic achievement and wanted to construct a measure of such skill development. He began with 72 designs administered to 600 children in Illinois. Thirty designs were selected and administered to another 600 children, leading to the selection of the final 24 forms administered today.

Beery VMI was published in 1967 by Keith Beery, Norman Buktenica, and Natasha Beery, with normative data obtained in 1964 on 1,030 children. The Beery VMI has since been re-normed on more than 10,000 children. Updated editions of the Beery VMI were published in 1982 (2nd Edition), 1989 (3rd Edition), 1997 (4th Edition), and 2004 (5th Edition). Each edition offered updated norms. The most recent 5th Edition includes standardized norms for children of 2 years of age and provides visual-motor teaching methods from birth through early elementary school.

Psychometric Data

The manual reports overall average reliabilities at .92 for visual-motor integration, .91 for visual perception, and .90 for motor coordination. Beery VMI correlates .52 with the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA) drawing subtest and .75 with the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-2) copying subtest. Strong correlations between the Beery VMI and other visual motor assessments highlight the test’s validity. Normative scores are valid for both individual and group administration, but it is recommended that those who perform below average be individually tested. It is also suggested that preschoolers be screened individually to maintain validity.

Clinical Uses

The Beery VMI is designed to be an early screening tool to identify children with visual-motor deficits that may lead to learning, neuropsychological, and behavioral problems. Beery VMI is primarily used for children because of its ability to assess age appropriate development. Beery VMI is also beginning to be used as an early screening tool for dementia in adults. Research has found that visuoconstructional deficits may be an early indicator of dementia (Malloy, Belanger, Hall, Aloia, & Salloway, 2003). Other uses of the Beery VMI are to test the effectiveness of educational and early intervention programs.

While the manual states that the visual perception and motor coordination subtests are optional, research has shown that all areas should be assessed for optimal results and clinical interpretation. Even children who perform well on the visual-motor integration portion may have deficits in the subareas of visual perception and motor coordination (Kulp & Sortor, 2003). In fact, visual perception specifically has been associated with math and reading ability (Sortor & Kulp, 2003). Research has also found a significant relation between visual-motor integration and academic achievement (Sortor & Kulp, 2003); however, these two areas are not exclusively correlated. Beery VMI is more strongly correlated with chronological age than academic achievement. Poor performance on the Beery VMI may or may not indicate academic achievement impairments.

Cross References

Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI)

Bender-Gestalt, Second Edition

Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF)