[Comparison of functional activity performance in normally developing children and children with cerebral palsy].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the pattern of self-care performance in normal children and children with cerebral palsy (CP).


METHODS
142 normal children and 33 children with CP were evaluated by 22 items from the self-care scale of the PEDI functional test. Rasch methodology transformed scores into interval measures of difficulty from 0 to 100 (logit). Spearman rank correlation coefficient compared the order of logits in the two groups.


RESULTS
Eleven items showed significant differences in the logit values received. Out of these, 7 items showed relative difficulty values greater in the group of children with CP and 4 items showed relative difficulty values greater among normal children. A significant correlation was observed in the order of the 22 items displayed in the two interval scales.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the development of self-care functional activities may be influenced by the presence of CP. These results may support assessment and intervention strategies for children with neuromotor disorders.
Departamento de Terapia Ocupacional, Escola de Educação Física, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. mcmancini@metalink.com.br
Marisa C
MC
Mancini
Patrícia M
PM
Fiúza
Jerusa M
JM
Rebelo
Lívia C
LC
Magalhães
Zélia A C
ZA
Coelho
Maria Lúcia
ML
Paixao
Ana Paula B
AP
Gontijo
Sérgio T
ST
Fonseca
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012648:Self Care