Test of Infant Motor Performance
What It Measures
The TIMP looks at how a very young infant controls their head, trunk, arms, and legs — the postural and selective motor control that everything else builds on. It is used with babies born prematurely and with term infants at risk, in the weeks when a motor problem is easiest to miss and most worth catching.
Forty-two items make up the test. Thirteen are observed: the examiner watches the baby move spontaneously and records whether specific things are present, such as head in midline, individual finger movements, and ankle movements. The remaining twenty-nine are elicited, meaning the examiner handles the baby or presents a sight or sound and rates the response. Positions include supine, prone, side-lying, supported sitting, and supported standing.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: Authorial rights are held by TIMP, which sells the manual, test forms, age calculator, and training materials separately. Test forms are consumables. Training is required — an e-learning course and a self-instructional DVD are available, and reliability depends on it. Reproduction requires permission.
Learn More: A higher score means better motor performance. Testing can be split across two sessions within 24 hours if the infant becomes fussy or the session is interrupted, without redoing completed items — a genuinely useful allowance in the NICU.