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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Functional assessment and care of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities

K J Ottenbacher1, M E Msall, N Lyon

  • 1University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston Texas 77555-1028, USA.

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
|April 1, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric assessment scores, particularly the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM instrument), strongly correlate with parent and teacher ratings of daily living assistance needs. These findings aid in understanding functional abilities in children with developmental disabilities.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

  • Accurate assessment of functional abilities in children with developmental disabilities is crucial for intervention planning.
  • Parent and teacher ratings provide valuable insights into a child's daily living assistance requirements.
  • Understanding the correlation between standardized pediatric assessments and functional outcomes is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between scores from pediatric assessment tools and parent/teacher-reported needs for assistance with activities of daily living.
  • To examine the interrelationships among scores from three widely used pediatric assessments.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective correlational study was conducted with 205 children (11-87 months) with developmental disabilities.
  • Participants included diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, with 72 females and 133 males.
  • Assessments included the Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM instrument), and the Amount of Assistance Questionnaire.

Main Results:

  • The Amount of Assistance Questionnaire demonstrated high test-retest reliability (0.82-0.97).
  • Strongest correlations between subscale scores and assistance ratings were observed for the WeeFIM instrument and Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test.
  • The highest correlation (r = 0.91) was found between the WeeFIM total rating and the total amount of assistance rating.

Conclusions:

  • The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM instrument) total ratings and the severity of disability are the most significant predictors of assistance needs.
  • These findings support the utility of the WeeFIM instrument in quantifying functional deficits and predicting support requirements in young children.
  • The study highlights the importance of integrating standardized assessments with caregiver-reported functional data for comprehensive child evaluation.
Abstract

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