The new 6th Edition of this highly acclaimed test measures visual-motor integration in children and adults. Backed by decades of research and clinical use, the VMI offers a convenient and economical way to screen for visual-motor deficits that can lead to learning, behavior, and neuropsychological problems. While it is used primarily with young children, the VMI can also be administered to adolescents and adults.
New in the 6th Edition
The 6th Edition remains focused on early childhood education, offering new norms for ages 2 through 18. (Adult norms, for ages 19 and older, have not been updated.) While test content has not changed, the child and adult test forms have been combined, making the VMI more convenient for clinicians who work with people of all ages. You may continue to use your remaining 5th Edition test forms, but you will need the new 6th Edition Manual to access updated norms and new research on medical, neuropsychological, and educational applications of the VMI.
A Simple Design-Copying Task Appropriate for Young and Old
The VMI helps assess the extent to which individuals can integrate their visual and motor abilities. The test presents the examinee with drawings of 24 geometric forms, arranged in developmental sequence, from less to more complex. The examinee simply copies these forms in the Test Booklet. The test can be individually or group administered in just 10 to 15 minutes. A Short Form, composed of 15 drawings, is often used with 2- to 8-year-old children.
Optional Supplemental Tests for More Detailed Evaluation
Two supplemental tests--the VMI Visual Test and the VMI Motor Test--can each be administered in 5 minutes or less. They are generally given if full- or short-form VMI results indicate a need for further testing. The supplemental tests use the same VMI stimulus forms, so it's easy to compare results from all three tests, using a profile form provided in the Test Booklet.
Fine-Grained Scoring, a Useful Manual, and Helpful Teaching Tools
The VMI scoring system permits fine discrimination between performances, especially at older age levels. The Manual presents very clear scoring criteria, standard scores, percentiles, and teaching suggestions. It also reports recent medical and neuropsychological applications of the VMI.
Five teaching tools offer activities and exercises that help teachers respond to VMI results. These are described at right.
The 6th Edition was standardized, in 2010, on a national sample of 1,737 children aged 2 to 18. Adult norms, collected in 2006, are based on a sample of 1,021 individuals from 19 to 100 years of age. In addition, the Manual includes approximately 600 age-specific norms, from birth through age 6. These norms reflect developmental "stepping stones" identified by research. They have proven useful in helping parents understand their child's current level of development.
Widespread Application
The VMI can be used by psychologists, learning disability specialists, school counselors, teachers, and other professionals to:
- Identify individuals who may have difficulty with visual-motor integration
- Make appropriate referrals for needed services
- Test the effectiveness of educational and other interventions
- Evaluate neuropsychological problems in older adults
- Inform diagnoses of dementia or Alzheimer's
One of the most well-researched instruments of its kind, the VMI is useful in assessing learning, neuropsychological, behavioral, and emotional disorders. It is time-efficient, culture-free, nonverbal, and appropriate for an extremely wide age range. Unlike many other tests of its kind, the VMI offers item content that is acceptable to preschoolers, children, teens, adults, and the elderly. Neither the very young nor the very old find the test intimidating.
