Introduction: While motor development may be affected by various factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the child, studies have reported that the child’s task-specific experience or practice of the developmental motor skill being acquired is the single most important factor that influences this process. To our knowledge, the specific environmental variables that may influence the child’s ability to obtain this experience have not previously been identified. This information may be very important if physical therapists and other early interventionists are to provide effective support-based interventions. Additionally, it is important to identify which children may be most vulnerable to potential risk factors that may result in delayed or dysfunctional acquisition of development motor skills. Purpose: The purposes of this two-part study were to 1) explore familial and community-level mechanisms that influence developmental experience and outcomes of young children in University of Nevada, Reno Early Head Start, and 2) to examine concurrence among screening and examination tools regarding identification of children who may be most vulnerable to those risks. Discussion: Public health and administrative implications of the study include recommendations to consider broadening EI eligibility criteria to include children with demographic and environmental risk factors in addition to biologic risk and delayed skills; consider allowing children with multiple risk factors to be eligible for EI services rather than monitoring their development; and consider whether the ASQ is an appropriate tool to use for screening motor development of young children living in poverty. Clinical implications include increasing attention to family education and provision of anticipatory guidance related to development skill acquisition, advocating for multi-risk children to receive an IFSP and services, and connecting families to resources that facilitate safe outdoor play and to public, low-cost enrichment opportunities.
