{"h1":"Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd ed. (PDMS-2)","faq":[{"a":"The PDMS-2 is designed for children from birth to about 5 years of age (roughly 0 to 71 months), making it useful across infancy and the early preschool years.","q":"What age range is the PDMS-2 used for?"},{"a":"It assesses gross-motor skills (large movements such as balance, walking, running and ball skills) and fine-motor skills (precise hand use such as grasping and visual-motor integration), across six subtests in total.","q":"What two main areas does the PDMS-2 assess?"},{"a":"No. The PDMS-2 gives a structured profile of a child's motor strengths and areas for support, and helps track progress, but a diagnosis is made only by a qualified clinician using a fuller assessment of the whole child.","q":"Is the PDMS-2 a diagnosis of a motor disorder?"},{"a":"Yes. Because it is standardised and detailed, therapists often use it both to understand where a child is starting from and to measure how their motor skills change over a period of therapy.","q":"Can the PDMS-2 measure progress after therapy?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-peabody-developmental-motor-scales-2nd-ed-pdms-2-and-what-does-it-assess","title":"What is the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd ed. (PDMS-2)?","entity":{"key":"pdms2","kind":"instrument","name":"Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd ed.","slug":"pdms-2"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Definition","value":"definition"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Measure","value":"measure"},{"kind":"route","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"assessments","label":"Assessments"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-motor-development-assessed","title":"How is Motor Development assessed?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-is-the-pdms-2-developmental-assessment-used-for-a-child","title":"At what age is the PDMS-2 developmental assessment used for a child?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"which-standardised-tools-are-used-to-assess-fine-motor-delay-in-early-childhood","title":"Standardised Tools for Assessing Fine Motor Delay"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-is-the-pdms-2-indicated-and-what-are-its-strengths-and-limits-in-early-childhood","title":"PDMS-2 Indications, Strengths and Limits in Early Childhood"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-the-pdms-2-compare-with-the-abilityscore-developmental-assessment","title":"How does the PDMS-2 compare with the AbilityScore developmental assessment?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-my-child-have-a-pdms-2-assessment-and-what-does-it-involve","title":"Should My Child Have a PDMS-2 Assessment, and What Does It Involve?"}],"summary":"The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition (PDMS-2) is a standardised, clinician-administered assessment of motor development for children from birth to about 5 years. It assesses two broad areas — gross motor (sitting, walking, balance, ball skills) and fine motor (grasping and visual-motor integration) — across six subtests. It gives a structured profile of a child's motor strengths and progress over time, and is used to understand where a child is starting from and to measure change after therapy, but it is not a diagnosis on its own.","answer_md":"*A widely used, play-based way to map a young child's motor strengths — from grasping a toy to running across a room — and turn that picture into support.*\n\n## In short\nThe **Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition (PDMS-2)** is a standardised, clinician-administered assessment of early motor development for children from birth to about 5 years (roughly 0–71 months). It looks at how a child moves and uses their body across two broad areas — **gross motor** (large movements like sitting, walking, jumping and balance) and **fine motor** (small precise movements like grasping, stacking and using the hands and fingers). It gives a clear, structured profile of a child's motor strengths and the areas that may benefit from support — it is not a diagnosis on its own.\n\n## What the PDMS-2 assesses\nThe PDMS-2 is made up of six subtests grouped under those two areas. On the **gross-motor** side it observes *reflexes* (in the youngest infants), *stationary* control (balance and holding a posture), *locomotion* (rolling, crawling, walking, running, hopping) and *object manipulation* (catching, throwing and kicking a ball, usually from around 12 months). On the **fine-motor** side it looks at *grasping* (how the hand holds objects) and *visual-motor integration* (using the eyes and hands together to reach, build, draw and manipulate small items).\n\nA trained professional guides the child through age-appropriate, mostly playful activities and records what the child can do. The results combine into composite scores — including a gross-motor and fine-motor profile and an overall picture — that help a therapist compare a child's motor development with typical expectations for their age and, importantly, track progress over time. Because it is detailed and standardised, it is often used both to understand where a child is starting from and to measure how far they have come after a period of therapy.\n\n## When this kind of assessment helps\nA motor assessment like the PDMS-2 is helpful when a parent or professional notices a child reaching motor milestones more slowly than peers — late sitting, walking or difficulty with hand skills like holding a spoon or crayon — or when a paediatrician recommends a closer look. It is one tool among several; a skilled clinician chooses and interprets it as part of a fuller understanding of the whole child.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care, never from an app or form. Our therapists may draw on validated tools such as the [PDMS-2](/pdms-2) alongside careful observation, then build an individualised plan that can include [occupational therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/best-occupational-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) to strengthen fine and gross-motor skills through play.\n\n## Trusted sources\nThe American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren on motor milestones and developmental monitoring; CDC developmental milestone guidance; WHO resources on early childhood motor development.\n\n**Next step —** If you have questions about how your child is moving, grasping or balancing, book a developmental review so a qualified clinician can choose the right assessment and map your child's motor strengths.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-peabody-developmental-motor-scales-2nd-ed-pdms-2-and-what-does-it-assess","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-peabody-developmental-motor-scales-2nd-ed-pdms-2-and-what-does-it-assess","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"assessments","label":"Assessments"}],"meta_title":"PDMS-2: What It Is & What It Assesses","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Build motor skills through everyday play — let your child climb cushions, throw and catch a soft ball, thread large beads, and scribble with chunky crayons; small joyful repetitions strengthen both big movements and little hand skills.","published_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-is-the-pdms-2-developmental-assessment-used-for-a-child","title":"At what age is the PDMS-2 developmental assessment used for a child?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":1},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"should-my-child-have-a-pdms-2-assessment-and-what-does-it-involve","title":"Should My Child Have a PDMS-2 Assessment, and What Does It Involve?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-is-the-pdms-2-indicated-and-what-are-its-strengths-and-limits-in-early-childhood","title":"PDMS-2 Indications, Strengths and Limits in Early Childhood","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-the-pdms-2-compare-with-the-abilityscore-developmental-assessment","title":"How does the PDMS-2 compare with the AbilityScore developmental assessment?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"which-standardised-tools-are-used-to-assess-fine-motor-delay-in-early-childhood","title":"Standardised Tools for Assessing Fine Motor Delay","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-motor-development-assessed","title":"How is Motor Development assessed?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":5}],"what_to_watch":"Reaching motor milestones more slowly than peers — late sitting, crawling or walking, poor balance, or difficulty with hand skills like holding a spoon, stacking or using a crayon.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren: developmental milestones and motor development"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov","label":"CDC: developmental milestone monitoring"},{"url":"https://www.who.int","label":"WHO: early childhood development resources"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","meta_description":"The PDMS-2 is a standardised motor assessment for children from birth to ~5 years, measuring gross and fine motor skills. Learn what it assesses.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}