Functional Skills among Preschool Children with Cerebral Palsy - Assessment before and after Early Intervention.

Objective

To assess and evaluate the change in functional skills among children with cerebral palsy (CP) who participated in an intensified habilitation program.

Methods

In this prospective longitudinal study, a cohort of 39 preschool children (2-5 years) with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-V) together with their parents participated in an intensified multidimensional habilitation program for 1 year. Activities strengthening functional skills were among the main interventions. The children were evaluated with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory before and after the program period.

Results

Only children at GMFCS levels I-II showed improvements in mobility and social function on norm-referenced scales. After the intervention period, these children scored similar to the mean for typically developing children of the same age on the social function domain.

Conclusions

Functional skills among preschool children with CP, GMFCS levels I-II, seems strengthened after participation in an intensified habilitation program.