A Narrative Review of Function-Focused Measures for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Clinical measures assess child functioning to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and their families.
• The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework guides health assessment beyond biomedical deficits.
• Understanding how NDD measures incorporate the ICF is crucial for effective clinical practice and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe function-focused clinical measures based on the ICF for children with NDD.
• To analyze how these measures incorporate ICF domains within healthcare contexts.
• To enhance the operationalization of function-focused concepts in pediatric NDD research and practice.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review utilizing a systematic search strategy across multiple health databases (Medline, PsycInfo, EMBASE, EMCARE).
• Inclusion criteria focused on clinical measures supporting children (0-21 years) with NDD in pediatric settings.
• Identified 14 relevant clinical measures for analysis.

Main Results:

• The 14 identified measures primarily target cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and communication disorders.
• Measures varied in contextual use (clinical-only or multiple settings) and underwent psychometric testing.
• Participation (79%) and Activities (71%) were the most frequently captured ICF domains; 71% utilized multiple ICF domains.

Conclusions:

• Clinical measures can effectively apply the ICF's functioning concepts for children with NDD.
• The identified measures demonstrate the dynamic nature of ICF domain interactions, differentiating from common linking rules.
• Findings support the use of ICF-aligned measures to improve the assessment and support of functioning in pediatric NDD populations.