Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM)

The RULM measures what a person with spinal muscular atrophy can do with their arms. It was built because existing scales ran out of room at both ends — too hard for very weak children, too easy for stronger adults — so this one covers the full range in a single measure.

The person sits at a table and works through twenty tasks with a standard kit: coins, a container with a lid, a light-up button, a cup, and weights. An entry item establishes which functional class they fall into but does not count toward the score. The remaining nineteen items are scored 0 for unable, 1 for able with modification, and 2 for able without difficulty, giving a total from 0 to 37.

Licensing Notes: Manuals circulate freely through neuromuscular networks. In clinical trials, administration is restricted to a trained clinical evaluator — typically a licensed physical or occupational therapist. Confirm terms before reproducing the scoring form.

Learn More: The test is performed unilaterally, using the limb the person prefers; where both sides are recorded, the higher score is used.