Functional status assessment in children with moderate and severe intellectual disability using pediatric version of the Functional Assessment of Patients

Abstract

Evaluation of a patient's functional condition is the main factor determining the choice of appropriate therapeutic actions. The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of the Functional Assessment of Patients (OFC-FAP; from Polish Ocena Funkcjonalna Chorych) pediatric version scale in the process of rehabilitative treatment as a method of assessing the level of losing, obtaining or re-obtaining functionality in everyday lives of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and moderate or severe intellectual disability (ID). Thirty-three children with CP and moderate or severe ID were studied. The ID level evaluation was performed with the use of revised version of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Upon starting the study patients were at the age from 6 to 18 years. The examination with the use of the OFC-FAP pediatric version scale was conducted twice, 12 months apart. Between the studies, children were subjected to rehabilitative enhancement. The patients were studied in six dimensions (in total 195 functional tasks were studied). The level of functional capability observed both in the first and the second study was higher in children with moderate ID than in those with severe ID. The pediatric version of OFC-FAP observational method, based on using the functional status assessment sheet, is an individualized and sensitive form of collecting information on the functional status of children with CP and co-occurring ID at moderate and severe level.