Motor Development and Impact Lab

About us

The Motor Development and Impact (MoDI) Lab was set up to bring together research at the University of Surrey which investigates typical and atypical motor development. We investigate the impact of motor development across the lifespan on social and cognitive skills, as well as physical and mental health.

This research has focused on children and adults with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD; sometimes known as ‘dyspraxia’) as well as typically-developing infants, and infants at-risk of autism spectrum disorder.

We use a range of methods, including neuroimaging, physiological measures, motion capture and driving simulator equipment, standardised tests, experimental tasks and questionnaires.

Our mission

The mission of the MoDI Lab is to:

• Improve our understanding of underlying processes in typical and atypical motor development.
• Highlight the central role of motor skill in social and cognitive development, health, and key life skills, such as driving.
• Provide insight into how those with motor difficulties are perceived by others and the impact on their social and educational or work life.
• Raise awareness amongst parents, educators and clinical professionals of motor difficulties (including DCD) and their effect on other areas of development and health.
• Work with parents, educators and clinical professionals to improve outcomes across motor, social, cognitive and health outcomes in those with motor difficulties.