OBJECTIVE. Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship between (a) the manual abilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP), assessed with the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) in a school rehabilitation setting, and (b) the children’s performance of self-care activities at home, assessed with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). In addition, we assessed the interobserver reliability of the MACS.

METHOD. Sixty-one children with CP were included (mean age = 10.3 yr, range = 5–14). The MACS was classified by 2 independent raters. The PEDI was scored in a structured interview.

RESULTS. The Spearman correlation coefficient between the MACS and the self-care domain of the PEDI Caregiver Assistance Scale was high and statistically significant (r = .72). The interobserver reliability of the MACS was good (weighted κ = .86).

CONCLUSION. The MACS is a reliable instrument in a school environment and is related to the performance of daily life self-care activities at home.

AOTA Taxonomy:
Pediatrics
Copyright © 2010 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
2010
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