Teachers' perception about the school-version of the assessment of motor and process skills applied to disabled students

Abstract

This study aims to verify under the teacher's point of view if the School Version of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School - AMPS) applied to disabled students predicts the student's performance observed in the classroom. Ten disabled children, between four and eight years old, and their respective teachers participated on this research. The data was obtained through observation of children in clinical environment during the accomplishment of predetermined tasks, concerning the School - AMPS Brazilian version. The teachers were given a child's assessment report and applied a questionnaire composed of three questions. The data was analyzed quantitative and qualitatively. The results show that the School - AMPS made possible to identify if the child's performance was mostly considered deficient, satisfactory or intermediate and, moreover, it made possible to analyze the performance based on the perception of the existing relation among the person's demands, the task and the environment. The teachers have considered that the assessment report presented predicts compatibly the student's performance observed in the classroom. They have considered feasible the adapted pedagogical resources and the suggestions of strategies to minimize and/or overcome the difficulties observed in the student's performance. It has been concluded that the School - AMPS Brazilian version has potential as a functional performance measure on disabled children, between four and eight years old, and it may contribute to the occupational therapist's performance in the school context.