Author: Palisano RJ, Tieman BL et al
Source: Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2003, 45: 113-120.
636 children with varying degrees of cerebral palsy were evaluated to determine what typical means of mobility were used at home, at school and in the community. The study also looked at whether or not children with CP tended to be more dependent on parents or other caregivers in certain environmental settings where they needed to be more mobile.
Physical therapists completed an evaluation of each child to determine their ability to move called the Gross Motor Functional Classification System that ranged from walking independently (level 1) to very limited mobility (level 5).
A questionnaire was completed by parents that provided information on their child?s ability to walk, what (if any) mobility aides they used (crutches, walker etc) and any equipment they used to get around (regular or battery-powered wheelchairs or strollers).
The study results showed that children in all 5 categories were less dependent on others when moving around at home versus the outdoors or community settings.
Children who were moderately involved found independent ways to get around at home, but needed adult assistance at school or the community. The authors of the study point out that many of these children moved well if they could crawl, roll or move themselves by other means on the floor, but that is not always ?socially acceptable? nor always practical in school or community settings, and could be a limiting factor in their ability to be independently mobile in the community.
The authors were surprised to find that 39% of the children ages 4-12 with limited self-mobility were carried most of the time by parents at home and that few children had battery-operated wheelchairs. Cost and the inability to have the wheelchair reimbursed through insurance were major factors for the low percentage of children who had these chairs.
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