Lessons from use of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory: where do we go from here?

The purpose of this article is to review the innovations, applications, and effect of the original Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) published in 1992 and to describe planned revisions.

During the past decade, the PEDI has helped to shift thinking from a developmental to a functional focus. Using the PEDI, researchers and clinicians worldwide have highlighted variations in functional skill acquisition in clinical populations, the importance of recognizing cultural differences, and the value of documenting functional progress in relation to interventions.

The PEDI has had a rich tradition in helping to document functional development. New methods are proposed for the next generation of the PEDI by using item banks and computer adaptive testing.

The computer adaptive testing feature and the revised and expanded content of the new PEDI will enable therapists to more efficiently assess children's functioning to a broader age group of children.