Clinical Tools for Assessing One-Handed Skills in Children With Cerebral Palsy: An Umbrella Review.

Introduction

This study is aimed at identifying suitable tools capable of evaluating one-handed skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods

In this article, the systematic reviews on upper extremity assessment tools for children with CP from 2000 to 2024 were identified in databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus. Then, the obtained tools were evaluated, among which only those capable of assessing one-handed skills in children aged 3 years and older in accordance with the activity level of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health were selected to evaluate the quality of evidence and psychometric properties in children with CP using CanChild Outcome Measure Rating Form.

Results

A total of 13 systematic reviews were selected for further analysis. Subsequently, 149 tools were identified for initial evaluation, of which 18 were capable of assessing one-handed skills in children with CP. Among these, COPM, ACHES, and PMAL_R demonstrated excellent evidence for overall clinical utility.

Conclusion

This study showed that among the numerous tools available for assessing one-handed skills in children with CP, only a limited number have excellent evidence for overall clinical utility. These findings can serve as a basis for selecting more precise, evidence-based tools in the assessment, and rehabilitation interventions for these children.