Parents' perceptions of the services provided to children with cerebral palsy in the transition from preschool rehabilitation to school-based services.
To describe the course of parents' perceptions of the family centredness of rehabilitation services provided to their children with cerebral palsy (CP) before and after the transition from preschool to school-based services.



Parents of 59 children with CP aged 2.5 to 4.5 years filled in the 56-item Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-56) on three occasions pre (2) and post (1) transition to school-based services. Friedman tests were used to describe changes in parents' perceptions over time. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to describe differences in course of parents' perceptions between regular school and special school or day care.



Parents' perceptions of preschool services were stable between the ages of 2.5 and 3.5 years, with a decline after transition on four of the five domains of the MPOC (P < 0.05). The domain providing general information was scored lowest (median at baseline 3.56, IQR 2.39) compared with the four other MPOC domains, but remained stable over time. No differences in course of parental perceptions were found for school type.



The transition from preschool to school-based services for children with CP is associated with a decrease in parents' perception of family centredness independent of the type of school. The transition in services has a negative impact on perceived family-centred practices.
Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus and Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M W
MW
Alsem
Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus and Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M
M
Verhoef
Department of Pediatrics and CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
J W
JW
Gorter
Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus and Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
L C M
LC
Langezaal
Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus and Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J M A
JM
Visser-Meily
Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus and Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M
M
Ketelaar
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012572:School Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
cerebral palsy; family-centred service; parent perceptions; preschool children; transition