DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY (THE FIRST REPORT)

DISABILITY RATING AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING OF CHILDREN

Abstract

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit physical disabilities with abnormal patterns of movement and perceptual-motor disorders. Some researchers have reported that independence in activities of daily living (ADL) of CP children is related to these factors.
Examination of sixty such clients in our Children's Orthopedic Centers was carried out, with ages ranging from 11 to 23 years, using the motor age tests of both the upper and lower limbs and the revised K's Developmental Tests for cognitive-adaptive abilities. Independence in ADL was assessed on self-care activities, such as transfers, feeding, toileting, dressing and bathing. Also examined were fifteen 9- and 10-year-old CP children who had the possible ability to achieve independence in ADL. The motor age of the lower limb was higher than 20 months for them to be able to ambulate without support and was higher than 10 months to enable them to become independent with wheelchairs, walking frames, crutches or sticks. It was however difficult to distinguish borderlines of the motor age for the various ambulatory aids. CP child, whose developmental quotient in cognitive-adaptive abilities was below 15, required supervision to walk to a destination, even though he possessed a functional gait.
The motor age of the upper limb in most of the children was higher than 30 months to enable them to become independent in self-care activities and their developmental quotient was above 15, so that notification of micturition was possible. Bathing required more than 58 months in motor age of the upper limb and was the last activity to achieve independence.