Author Q&A with Drs. Brett and Bob Bruininks

April 2, 2024 by

BOT-3 Authors: Brett D. Bruininks, PhD, Robert H. Bruininks, PhD

The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency™, Third Edition (BOT™-3) is here, so we sat down with authors, Drs. Brett and Bob Bruininks, to talk about the customer- and research-led updates to this widely used motor skills assessment.

How has recent motor development research shaped the new BOT-3?

There has been extensive research on the development and contribution of motor development to tasks of everyday life for children, youth, and adults. Early in the BOT-3 development process, we identified close to 1,000 academic research studies of the BOT and BOT-2 that supported the use, reliability, and validity of the BOT-2. Interestingly, we also found research where the BOT was used with many additional special populations, including cross-cultural studies and conditions beyond those reported in the BOT-2 Technical Manual. The available research on BOT-2 spans a wide range of usage across professional groups and populations. It has been used for screening, diagnosis of disabilities, sport and recreation studies (e.g. TBI, return-to-play, sport performance), and planning and evaluation of motor interventions. Appreciation of these broad uses influenced our efforts to streamline, strengthen, and simplify the scope and usability of BOT-3 through better organization and content of subtests, streamlined administrative procedures, and a wider range of scores.

The BOT-3 revision also benefitted greatly from less formal research efforts, including recommendations from focus groups, the Pearson Advisory Committee, and studies of the Pearson professional staff.

The information we gathered from all these sources influenced the overall revision and new features of the BOT-3.

What were your goals in developing the third edition of the test?

We identified seven revision goals to strengthen BOT-3 and enhance its utility and efficiency.

Streamline test administration and create more flexible assessment options.
Enhance the scoring guidelines and rules to improve efficiency and precision.
Improve the quality and efficiency of the test kit equipment.
Expand items to strengthen subtests and the developmental range of fine and gross motor content.
Provide new supplementary diagnostic scores to expand clinical applications.
Update and expand normative data and scales, including new technical reliability and validity studies.
Extend the test norms to young adult levels.

What new features are most exciting for you?

How much time do you have? To start, BOT-3 features strong continuity of content and organization with BOT-2 while adding 15 new items to expand the floor and ceiling and statistical strength of the eight foundational subtests, domains, composites, and Total Test. About 25% of the content is new.

We've developed a stronger and more efficient Brief Form that better supports researchers and the use of the Complete, Fine Motor, and Gross Motor Kits to assess service eligibility, intervention planning, progress over time, and impact of educational and clinical interventions.

We think users will enjoy the improved administration guidelines, equipment, teaching, and scoring resources.

The age range has been extended upwards to 25 years, 11 months to better align the assessment to the organization of service programs, and three new supplemental scores expand the clinical applications and interpretations of motor development and proficiency.

The Balance Beam is now optional, which is particularly exciting for practitioners who are constantly on the go and having to carry the kit around. For those who really like using the beam, we've introduced some optional, more advanced balance items using the Balance Beam, to assess balance skills under changing conditions with increased difficulty.

Trends in assessment are placing a premium on efficiency in diagnostic and intervention processes. BOT-3 substantially supports this trend by reducing trials for about 50% of the BOT-3 tasks and providing a greatly enhanced Brief form. Further efficiencies in quality assessment and reporting for users and examinees are provided by the digital administration and scoring options in Q-global.

How does the BOT-3 expand understanding of motor proficiency and its contribution to physical activity, cognitive functioning, and health and social skills development?

Research is at the center of everything we do! The BOT-3 provides additional tools and support for researchers interested in understanding:

the contribution of motor proficiency to tasks of everyday life;
the relationship of these skills to academic and cognitive growth;
fundamental skills needed for play and athletic participation;
how motor skills improve through development and intervention using the new Growth Scale Value scores (GSVs);
and many other questions!

What are some “out-of-the box” BOT applications you've heard about over the years?

Many years ago, one of our close relatives was in a major auto accident, resulting in a long-term coma and a sustained period of recovery. After an intense period of initial recovery, her neurologist considered her release from intensive care to an intensive rehabilitation center. To our surprise, he felt she should be administered the BOT-2 before her release from the ICU.

More recently, the BOT-2 was used as part of a project assessing motor development of Aboriginal children in Australia.

Other professionals outside therapeutic, health, and educational realms have used the BOT-2 to study readiness for sports and physical activity, and the impact of sports and physical activity on physical, academic, and social skills development of children and youth.

We have also had conversations with researchers about the use of more complex fine motor skills in assessing the effects of concussions and typical response to treatment and rest. The new Skilled Manual Performance score will be ideal for this type of application.

We are confident the increased flexibility and administration options of BOT-3 will create other expanded applications. We look forward to seeing these and broadening professional engagement in the use and application of BOT-3.

What can clinicians who are already familiar with the BOT-2 expect when they upgrade to BOT-3?

Many of the improvements in BOT-3 resulted from observations and suggestions of experienced BOT-2 users:

Numerous focus groups with experienced professionals in a wide range of relevant fields, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, adaptive physical educators, and other professional fields
The Pearson BOT-3 Advisory Committee
Higher education teaching and research faculty

Expanding on the improvements we mentioned earlier, there are several enhancements to the BOT-3 that really set it apart from the BOT-2:

The development of three brand new clinical scores enhances the diagnostic value and clinical applications of the BOT-3.
- The Skilled Manual Performance score is a composite of the three fine motor subtests — Fine Motor Precision, Fine Motor Integration, and Manual Dexterity. We know OTs have been wanting a score like this for some time.
- Planning and Coordination is a summary score useful in assessing motor planning and coordination skills related to several diagnoses, such as DCD, ADHD, and ASD.
- The Movement Fundamentals Score is a criterion-referenced measure that includes items assessing locomotion, object-control, and stability (or balance), which are the early building blocks of more complex movements and physical literacy.
Examiners enjoy greater flexibility in assessment options and scores.
- The BOT-3 provides Fine and Gross Motor composite scores in addition to the Total Test score.
- New Growth Scale Values (GSV) that are interval level measurements ideal for assessing longitudinal developmental growth and changes from interventions.
BOT-2 had two shorter survey measures, the BOT-2 Brief and a Short Form. In BOT-3, these have been replaced by a single survey measure, the BOT-3 Brief. It is a more robust measure, with 20 strong statistical items (10 Fine Motor and 10 Gross Motor). Whereas the BOT-2 Brief provided a single overall motor score, the BOT-3 Brief includes Fine Motor and Gross Motor cut scores in addition to the Total Standard Score. The BOT-3 Brief is a good measure to guide and recommend more detailed diagnostic assessment, and a useful measure for research and evaluation. Major decisions regarding eligibility, intervention referral and planning, and program evaluation of interventions should be based on the comprehensive BOT-3 test and/or other measures.
BOT-3 reflects several improvements in scoring, equipment, and directions to make its set-up and administration more convenient, informative, and efficient. Some of these changes include:
- Deletion of the second trial for about 50% of the tasks, based upon results of a major statistical study
- Improved teaching guidelines and a supporting video library to ensure more standardized and accurate assessment
- A shorter running course to accommodate a wider variety of testing conditions
- Updated equipment that has been modified based on user feedback

Anything else you’d like to mention?

We suggest examiners carefully study the Manual to familiarize themselves with the instructions for administration and scoring. Also, we want to point out that the BOT-3 Complete Kit provides the most detailed information on motor proficiency and development and is a necessary means of leveraging the full range of scores, including the new clinical measures, as items for the Planning and Coordination and Movement Fundamentals scores were drawn from across both gross and fine motor subtests.

We welcome new users to the BOT-3 and thank the loyal users of BOT-2 and its earlier edition for your encouragement, advice, and commitment to improving physical activity and performance in everyday life for children, youth, and adults.

For more information and to order BOT-3, visit PearsonAssessments.com/BOT3.

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