Dr. Anjan Bhattacharya

The Griffith Mental Developmental Scales

Developmental Assessments

The Griffith Mental Development Scales (GMDS) are widely used by paediatricians and psychologists to measures the rate of development of infants and young children from birth to 8 years. The GMDS assess a child’s strengths and weaknesses in all developmental areas, and can be used to determine if a child is in need of an early intervention or a treatment program.

The six areas of development measured by the scales include:

1) Locomotor :
The Locomotor sub-scale assesses gross motor skills, including the ability to balance and to co-ordinate and control movements;

2) Personal-Social :
This sub-scale measures proficiency in the activities of daily living, level of independence and interaction with other children;

3) Hearing and Language :
Is the assessment of hearing, expressive language and receptive language;

4) Eye and Hand Co-ordination :
This sub-scale focuses on fine motor skills, manual dexterity and visual monitoring skills;

5) Performance :
Performance assesses the developing ability to reason through tasks including speed of working and precision;

6) Practical Reasoning :
The Practical reasoning sub-scale measures the ability of a child (2 to 8 years) to solve practical problems, understanding of basic maths concepts and understanding of moral issues.