Overview
The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration – Sixth Edition (Beery VMI; Beery, Buktenica & Beery, 2010) is a norm-referenced instrument that permits screening for visual-motor deficits that can underlie learning, behavior, and neuropsychological problems. It requires examinees to copy a sequence of geometric forms using paper and pencil. The Beery VMI can be administered in approximately 10 to 15 minutes and may be administered in groups or individually. Two optional supplemental tests are available to assess visual and motor skills separately: the Beery VMI Visual Perception Test and the Beery VMI Motor Coordination Test. The optional tests are given if the Short Format or Full Format results indicate the need for further assessment. Compared to its predecessor, new norms for ages 2-18 have been updated, and the child and adult forms have been combined to increase clinical convenience.
Summary
Age: 2 years and over; Short Form often used with ages 2–8 years
Time to Administer: VMI: 10-15 minutes; VP: 5 minutes, MC: 5 minutes
Method of Administration: Norm-referenced, clinician-administered; can be administered individually or in groups
Two Formats: Short Format and Full Format
Includes two supplemental tests: Visual Perception (VP) and Motor Coordination (MC)
Subscales: Overall Composite: Beery VMI
Supplemental Test Scores: Visual Perception; Motor Coordination
Autism Related Research
Green et al. (2016)
Age Range: 3-26 years
Sample Size: 92
Topics Addressed:
Examination of visuomotor integration abilities of persons with ASD
Outcome:Green et al. (2016)
A large effect size difference in Beery VMI performance suggested decreased VMI in the ASD subjects; however, this appeared to be driven by a subgroup of ASD participants with overall lower intellectual ability. Only 1 TD participant had a Beery VMI score < 1.5 SDs below the normative sample mean, whereas 12 individuals (21%) in the ASD sample did. The differences in VMI performance appeared to be driven by a subset of ASD participants with lower FSIQ such that when those with FSIQ scores < 80 were removed from the analysis, the effect size was decreased by d = 0.22 and a significant difference between ASD and TD Beery VMI performance was no longer observed.
Conclusion: FSIQ contributes considerably to Beery VMI performance, and visuomotor impairment does not seem to be associated with overall level of autism symptom severity.
McDonald, Volker, Toomey, Thomeer, Lee, Lipinski, Dua, Schiavo, Bain, & Nelson (2014)
Age Range: 6–16 years
Sample Size: 141
Topics Addressed:
Compare visual-motor skills of typically developing (TD) students to those with high-functioning ASD (HFASD) using the VMI-VI and KOPPITZ-2
Outcome:McDonald, Volker, Toomey, Thomeer, Lee, Lipinski, Dua, Schiavo, Bain, & Nelson (2014)
Within-group comparisons indicated substantive mean differences between composite scores of KOPPITZ-2 and VMI-VI. Visual perception and motor coordination sections of VMI-VI and VMI-VI composite and either VMI-VI supplemental test. Between-group differences were assessed in a matched sample of 33 participants from each group. HFASD group scored significantly lower than TD group on test sections requiring greater motor ability. Correlations between KOPPITZ-2 composite and VMI-VI composite were .56 for the HFASD, and .36 for the TD samples.
Conclusion: comparability of visual-motor measures cannot be assumed, and assessing with multiple instruments may improvement assessment and intervention that will best serve student needs.