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Quality of performance of everyday activities in children with spina bifida: a population-based study
M Peny-Dahlstrand1, A-C Ahlander, L Krumlinde-Sundholm
1Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. marie.peny-dahlstrand@neuro.gu.se
Insights
Children with spina bifida often struggle with daily tasks, showing deficits in motor and process skills. Targeted guidance is crucial for them to achieve independence and successfully complete activities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Spina bifida impacts motor and process skills in children.
- Everyday activity performance is a key indicator of functional independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the quality of everyday activity performance in children with spina bifida.
- To identify specific motor and process skill deficits affecting daily tasks.
Main Methods:
- Fifty children (aged 6-14) with spina bifida participated.
- The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) was utilized for evaluation.
Main Results:
- 60% of children had motor ability measures below 2 SD; 48% had process ability measures below 2 SD.
- Difficulties were noted in motor planning, performance adaptation, and task initiation.
- Children struggled with effortless, efficient, and independent task completion.
Conclusions:
- Children with spina bifida often require specific support for skill development.
- Guidance should focus on both task execution and successful task completion to foster autonomy.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the performance of everyday activities in children with spina bifida.
Methods:
Fifty children with spina bifida (of 65 children in a geographic cohort), aged 6 to 14 years, were evaluated with Assessment of Motor and Process Skills.
Results:
Compared with age-normative values, 60% of the children with spina bifida were found to have motor ability measures below 2 SD and 48% process ability measures below 2 SD. Most of the children with spina bifida had difficulties performing well-known everyday activities in an effortless, efficient and independent way, relating to both motor and process skills. The motor skills hardest to accomplish involved motor planning and the process skills hardest to accomplish were adaptation of performance and initiations of new steps, thus actually getting the task done.
Conclusion:
To reach autonomy in life, children with spina bifida may need particular guidance to learn not only how to do things but also how to get things done.
