Assessment

Classification of functional perfomance in the presence of disabling conditions may be from the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities, and Handicaps and intergrated by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.The result is a five-dimensional classification of pathophysiology, impairment, functional limitation, societal limitation, and disability.

                The motor milestones discussed in the previous chapter provide the means to document development.The Alberta Infant Motor Scale is an observational scale that is used between 1 and 5 years of age to assess gross motor milestones.The Denver II score remains the most widely used screening tool used by pediatricians.The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales assess gross and fine motor function up to 42 months of age.

                There are a number of tests that have been derived for children with disabilities althougth no specific tests have been identified to be particularly outstanding.They include the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and the Prediatric Evaluation of Disability Invertory (PEDI).The  Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) assesses self-care, sphincter control, movement, and communication.One of the most important questions parents of children with motor disorders ask is, “Will my child walk?” There are many factors that result in the ability to walk  gait, the mechanisms of the pathological gait have become clearer.

                The physical therapist will assess the range of motion and the universal goniometer is the most wdely used measuring instrument.This is more useful in older children and adults than infants and young children.Manual muscle testing is used to assess strength.