The Reliability and Validity of Data Obtained With the Functional Gait Assessment Modified for Children.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the Functional Gait Assessment modified for Children (FGA-mC) in children with cochlear implant and with and without vestibular loss (VL), and the FGA-mC's reliability and validity.

METHODS

Fifty-nine children completed the FGA-mC and vestibular and functional testing. Twenty children were video-recorded to assess the FGA-mC's inter- and intra-rater reliability, and 10 repeated the FGA-mC for test-retest reliability. Ten physical therapists reviewed the videos, scored the child's FGA-mC performance, and provided test administration feedback.

RESULTS

Children without VL had significantly higher FGA-mC scores compared to children with bilateral VL and a <26 cutoff score was identified for normal function versus VL with good discrimination, sensitivity and specificity. The FGA-mC had good inter- and intra-rater reliability, construct validity, but poor test-retest reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

The FGA-mC shows decreased performance in children with bilateral VL compared to children without VL. There was overall good-to-excellent reliability and validity of the FGA-mC, supporting its use for a pediatric population.