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Updated: Aug 23, 2026
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Reliability of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI)
Marie Berg1, Reidun Jahnsen, Kathrine Frey Frøslie
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Statistics, National Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway. Marie.Berg@Sunnaas.no
Insights
The Norwegian Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) shows excellent reliability between the same raters and interviewers. However, consistency decreases when different respondents, like parents and teachers, provide information.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Occupational Therapy
- Disability Assessment
Background:
- The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) is a key tool for assessing functional abilities in children with disabilities.
- A Norwegian translation of the PEDI is now available, necessitating reliability testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the inter-rater, inter-respondent, and intra-rater reliability of the Norwegian version of the PEDI.
- To establish the consistency of functional ability assessments in a Norwegian pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 30 typically developing Norwegian children aged 1.0–5.0 years.
- Interviews were conducted by an occupational therapist (twice) and a physiotherapist (once) with parents.
- Kindergarten teachers were also interviewed by the occupational therapist.
Main Results:
- Excellent agreement was found for inter-rater and intra-rater reliability (ICC 0.95–0.99).
- Inter-respondent reliability between parents and teachers showed moderate agreement (ICC 0.64–0.74).
Conclusions:
- High reliability is achieved when the same interviewer assesses the same respondent, or when two trained interviewers assess the same respondent.
- Consistency in PEDI scores requires careful consideration of respondent differences and standardized training for administrators.
Abstract:
Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) is an instrument for evaluating function in children with disabilities aged 6 months to 7.5 years. The PEDI measures both functional performance and capability in three domains: (1) self-care, (2) mobility, and (3) social function. The PEDI has recently been translated into Norwegian. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-rater, inter-respondent and intra-rater reliability of the Norwegian version of the PEDI. Reliability was investigated in a sample of 30 Norwegian children without disabilities between 1.0 and 5.0 years. Interviews with parents were conducted twice by the same occupational therapist, and once by a physiotherapist. Kindergarten teachers were also interviewed by the occupational therapist. Using children without disabilities allows us to set up a standard for functional ability. Deviation from the point may indicate improvement or worsening of the state. The inter-rater and intra-rater part of the study showed excellent agreement of the observations, indicated both by small differences and high Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) (0.95-0.99). The discrepancy between the different interviews was highest between the reports from the parents and the kindergarten teachers (inter-respondent reliability), indicated by ICC from 0.64-0.74. Results of this study indicate that improved reliability is secured when the same interviewer interviews the same respondent, as well as when two trained interviewers interview the same respondent. The consistency of scores should be reviewed when different respondents are interviewed. Professionals administering the PEDI needs to be trained following a required procedure in order to secure consistency in their rating.
