title: Self-care recovery of children with brain injury: descriptive analysis using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) functional classification levels.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe self-care recovery of children and adolescents with acquired brain injury using six newly derived self-care functional classification levels, to examine the responsiveness of the levels, and to compare level changes with scaled score changes. Upon admission and discharge to inpatient rehabilitation, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) Functional Skills Self-Care domain was administered by occupational therapy staff to 152 children and adolescents with brain injury (mean age = 9.3 years; SD = +/- 5.2). Scaled scores were converted to self-care classification levels. Using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test, a difference between admission and discharge level was found for the entire group. Children with traumatic brain injury and stroke demonstrated the most change. When compared with scaled score changes, minimal sensitivity was lost when using classification levels. The PEDI self-care levels provide a responsive analysis of recovery and offer an alternative to the reporting of change scores.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Franciscan Children's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, 30 Warren Street, Boston, MA 02135, USA.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fragala
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Steva
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans