Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd ed.
PDMS-2 vs the AbilityScore developmental assessment
The PDMS-2 is a standardised, norm-referenced test of motor skills (gross and fine motor) for children from birth to about five years. The AbilityScore® is a broader, clinician-administered structured assessment that builds a whole-child picture against your child's own baseline. They complement rather than compete — a clinician may use a motor scale within the wider AbilityScore® view, and any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle centre.
When you're choosing how to understand your child's progress, it helps to know what each tool is really for.
In short
The PDMS-2 (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition) is a focused, standardised test of motor skills — how your child moves, balances, grasps and manipulates objects — for children from birth to around five years. The AbilityScore® is a broader, clinician-administered structured assessment that looks across many areas of development to build a whole-child picture against your child's own baseline. They aren't rivals; a clinician may draw on a motor measure like the PDMS-2 within the wider AbilityScore® view.How they differ in practice
Think of the PDMS-2 as a precise lens on one domain, and the AbilityScore® as the wide-angle view:- What they measure — The PDMS-2 assesses gross motor (reflexes, balance, locomotion, object manipulation) and fine motor (grasping, hand use) skills, producing standardised motor scores. The AbilityScore® spans multiple developmental domains to capture the broader pattern of how your child learns, communicates, plays and moves.
- Purpose — The PDMS-2 is excellent for pinpointing motor strengths and delays and for planning motor-focused therapy. The AbilityScore® is designed to set a personalised baseline you can track progress against over time.
- Who and how — The PDMS-2 is a published norm-referenced instrument administered by a trained professional. The AbilityScore® is administered by Pinnacle clinicians as part of a holistic, ongoing assessment journey.
- Reference point — The PDMS-2 compares your child with standardised age norms; the AbilityScore® emphasises your child's own progress, while still being clinically grounded.
Used together, a motor scale answers "how is movement developing?" while the AbilityScore® answers "how is my whole child developing, and what's the plan?"
When each is useful
If your main concern is motor — late sitting, walking, clumsy hand use or difficulty with grasping — a motor-specific measure like the PDMS-2 is very informative and often guides occupational therapy and physiotherapy goals. If you want an all-round understanding of communication, play, learning and movement together, a broader structured assessment is the better starting point. A clinician will choose the right combination for your child.The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under the care of a qualified clinician — never from an online figure or a single test result. Our AbilityScore® is a clinician-administered structured assessment that measures your child against their own baseline and turns observations into a practical plan. Backed by 2.5 billion+ data points and 25 million+ therapy sessions across 70+ centres, our clinicians pair the right instruments with warm, family-centred support. Learn how the measure works: what the AbilityScore is and how it's calculated.Trusted sources
WHO guidance on early childhood development and the Nurturing Care Framework; CDC and AAP (HealthyChildren) milestones and developmental monitoring guidance; ASHA resources on developmental assessment. Specific motor-scale norms come from the PDMS-2 published manual.Next step — Get a whole-child picture, not just one score. Book an AbilityScore assessment with a Pinnacle clinician for clear, practical next steps.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
What to watch
If your main worry is movement — late sitting or walking, clumsy hand use, or difficulty grasping — note when skills emerge and whether they keep progressing. Persistent motor lags, or concerns across several areas at once, are worth a clinician's structured assessment sooner rather than later.
Try this at home
Build motor skills through everyday play: floor time and crawling games for big movements, and threading beads, stacking blocks or tearing paper for little hands. Frequent, fun practice does more than any single test.
Trusted sources
Developed by SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network · Last reviewed 2026-06-10 · reviewed every 365 days
This is general information, not a diagnosis. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care.
Frequently asked
Is the PDMS-2 the same as the AbilityScore?
No. The PDMS-2 is a published, norm-referenced test focused on motor skills (movement, balance, grasping). The AbilityScore® is a broader, clinician-administered structured assessment covering many developmental areas and tracking your child against their own baseline. They serve different, complementary purposes.
Which one should my child have?
It depends on your concern. A motor-specific scale like the PDMS-2 is ideal when movement is the main worry; a broader assessment is better for an all-round picture. A Pinnacle clinician will choose the right combination for your child.
Does a PDMS-2 result give a diagnosis?
No single test gives a diagnosis. The PDMS-2 describes motor performance against age norms. Any clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.