ICF-inspired goal-setting in developmental rehabilitation: an innovative framework for pediatric therapists

Collaborative goal-setting is a fundamental component of developmental physical and occupational therapy practice. Evidence suggests, however, that therapists struggle to elicit patient and family goals, and they often establish goals that are not reflective of patient and caregiver functional preferences. Training and efficiency also act as barriers to collaborative goal-setting. A number of solutions have been proposed to enhance the goal-setting process, but none specifically address relevant areas of functioning within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), a robust, multidimensional tool that emphasizes the importance of function. To support pediatric therapists in the collaborative establishment of functionally relevant goals, an ICF-inspired goal-setting tool was developed through the assimilation of a large body of existing scientific evidence, ICF Core Sets, and expert consensus. The aims of this paper are to: 1) describe an ICF-inspired framework for collaborative goal-setting in developmental rehabilitation that seeks to reduce the methodological challenges frequently associated with goal-setting; and 2) discuss the conditions for the use of the framework in daily therapeutic practice. The goal-setting framework presented in this paper may help pediatric therapists to create meaningful goals in collaboration with patients and families. Importantly, the goal-setting framework described promotes the use of the ICF in therapeutic practice.