Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (BEERY VMI)

The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (BEERY VMI) is a non-verbal assessment helping to identify deficits in visual perception, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Commonly used to diagnose cognitive developmental disorders in young children, it assesses the extent to which children can integrate their visual and motor activities. 

A paper-and-pencil test, children are instructed to copy designs without using an eraser or rotating the reference booklet, and it only gets harder as the test progresses.

Components of BEERY VMI

There are 2 versions of the BEERY VMI:

Ψ Short Form Test: 21 items, for children aged 2 to 7 years old
Ψ Long Form Test: 30 items, for children aged 2 years and up

The BEERY VMI also contains 2 supplemental tests:

Ψ Visual Perception: requires examinees to identify a target design among choices
Ψ Motor Coordination: requires examinees to trace a geometric shape with a dashed outline using a pencil without an eraser

Advantages of BEERY VMI

Many disabilities and disorders include symptoms of visual-motor, visual-perceptual and motor coordination difficulties. The BEERY VMI will hence be useful for various children, including those who have been disabled by stroke, injury or Alzheimer’s disease. As a non-verbal neurodevelopmental assessment, it is also perfect for children with disabilities or impairments in language or verbal abilities. The supplemental tests further help to point out specific visual-perceptual or motor coordination deficits which may not have been identified on short or full format tests.