Functional evaluation of cerebral palsy using the ICIDH

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Traditional assessments for cerebral palsy (CP) focused on disturbed functions for rehabilitation planning.
• The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) has shifted the evaluation approach.
• Current practice benefits from concentrating on typical and significant disabilities in CP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the transformation in assessing children with cerebral palsy.
• To advocate for a focused evaluation approach on key disabilities.
• To address the need for severity scaling in CP assessments.

Main Methods:

• Review of traditional assessment methods for cerebral palsy.
• Analysis of the impact of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) framework.
• Identification of typical and important disabilities in cerebral palsy.

Main Results:

• The introduction of the ICIDH has modernized the assessment of children with CP.
• Focusing evaluation on key disabilities provides a more practical approach.
• A gap exists in severity scaling for certain CP-related disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Evaluating children with cerebral palsy should prioritize typical and significant disabilities.
• The development of appropriate severity scales is crucial for effective rehabilitation planning.
• Adopting a focused, ICIDH-aligned assessment strategy enhances rehabilitation outcomes for children with CP.