title: A systematic review of evidence-based assessment practices by allied health practitioners for children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The routine use of psychometrically robust assessment tools is integral to best practice. This systematic review aims to determine the extent to which evidence-based assessment tools were used by allied health practitioners for children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis protocols 2015 was employed. A search strategy applied the free text terms: 'allied health practitioner', 'assessment', and 'cerebral palsy', and related subject headings to seven databases. Included articles reported assessment practices of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, or speech pathologists working with children with CP aged 0 to 18 years, published from the year 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Eighty-eight assessment tools were reported, of which 23 were in high use. Of these, three tools focused on gross motor function and had acceptable validity for use with children with CP: Gross Motor Function Measure, Gross Motor Function Classification System, and goniometry. Validated tools to assess other activity components, participation, quality of life, and pain were used infrequently or not at all.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allied health practitioners used only a few of the available evidence-based assessment tools. Assessment findings in many areas considered important by children and families were rarely documented using validated assessment tools.
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability and Development Research, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.|School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.|Northern Centre for Health Education and Research, Epping, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability and Development Research, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imms
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn