The assessment of motor dysfunctions: Preliminaries to a disability-oriented approach

Abstract In the present article some preliminary ideas on a disability-oriented assessment of motor dysfunctions are discussed against the background of an information processing approach to human motor behavior. Movements are seen as the end-result of a complex interaction between perceptual, cognitive and motor processes. Assessment procedures focused solely on motor aspects and without any theoretical framework are criticized. In the present text a disability is discussed in terms of a breakdown of skills. An example is given of an assessment approach in which motor aspects and cognitive aspects are integrated. The results indicate that such an approach is fruitful for a better understanding of disability.