WeeFIM. Normative sample of an instrument for tracking functional independence in children.
A cross-sectional community sample of 417 children, ages 6 months to 8 years without developmental delays or in developmental programs, was seen. The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) was used to assess independence in self-care, sphincter control, transfers, locomotion, communication, and social cognition. Mean total WeeFIM was similar for males and females. There was a significant correlation between the age of the child in months and total WeeFIM scores for children ages 2 to 5 years (n = 222, r = .80, P < .01). There was a progressive increase of functional independence with increasing chronological age across all WeeFIM domains. We conclude that the WeeFIM is a useful instrument for measuring disability in children.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo.
M E
ME
Msall
K
K
DiGaudio
L C
LC
Duffy
S
S
LaForest
S
S
Braun
C V
CV
Granger
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012648:Self Care