Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has renewed interest in the use of ultrasound (US) amongst dysphagia-trained clinicians working with infants and children. US is a portable, minimally intrusive tool which carries reduced risk of aerosol-generation provoked by other instrumental swallowing assessment tools such as…

The aim of the study was to describe the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Juvenile Arthritis Functional Assessment Report (JAFAR) in children/adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Sixty-nine children/adolescents with JIA were included in the study. JAFAR(TR)-Child and Parent forms were applied to the patients with…

In order to properly understand and compare traditional and innovative assessment techniques for students with disabilities, we must be able to access examples of how they work in a logical and thoughtful sequence. This finely curated collection of thirteen chapters presents ideas and research on different disability topics from key leaders in the…

Children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (CP) have several gait impairments, amongst which impaired gait stability may be one. We tested whether a newly developed stability measure (the foot placement estimator, FPE) which does not require long data series, can be used to asses gait stability in typically developing (TD) children as well as…

Background: Communication difficulties are common in cerebral palsy (CP) and are frequently associated with motor, intellectual and sensory impairments. Speech and language therapy research comprises single-case experimental design and small group studies, limiting evidence-based intervention and possibly exacerbating variation in practice. Aims:…

In the support of individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), assessing the level of alertness is a recurring issue for parents and other direct support persons. Although observations show clear advantages above and beyond other assessment methods, there are problems related to this method as well. Subjectivity of…

Aim: This paper is a systematic review of physical activity measurement instruments for field-based studies involving children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: Database searches using PubMed Central, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PEDro located 12 research papers, identifying seven instruments that met the inclusion…

This paper characterizes educational strengths and needs of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and connects research findings from the University of Michigan's Adapted Cognitive Assessment Lab (ACAL) to current special educational requirements. It acknowledges the uniqueness of educating a child with significant motor and communication disabilities…

Validation of the Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Test in assessing permanent hand disability was determined using 118 persons with permanent impairments. Four subtests were given. Scores for the impaired hand on each subtest were strongly correlated with the rating of disability on a traditional American Medical Association measure. (Author/CM)

This article offers an overview of factors important in positioning the child with physical disabilities including proper techniques, multidisciplinary assessment, selection of equipment, trying equipment, and ongoing team evaluation. Specific terms concerned with clinical aspects, seating, standing, and seating components are defined. (DB)

Learning to reach for and manipulate objects requires considerable neuromotor control and flexibility. Through environmental and object exploration individual neuromotor strategies expand, and prehensile skills improve, as infants and children overcome constraints. Infants and children with prehensile deficits often have difficulty exploring…

The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) was used along with the Test of Playfulness (TOP) to assess 16 children with cerebral palsy who took part in a study of virtual reality play intervention. Both observational measures are designed to assess children as they are engaged in occupations in one or more environments. Virtual reality offers an…

This article describes addition of a "learn a routine" procedure to functional visual assessments of children with severe neurological and physical disabilities. The procedure capitalizes on the child's interest of the moment and provides information on the child's patterns of responses, ability to accommodate to variations of a stimulus, and…

This unique resource provides a comprehensive review of current knowledge about phonological awareness, together with practical guidance for helping preschoolers to adolescents acquire needed skills. Up-to-date findings are synthesized on the development of phonological awareness; its role in literacy learning; and how it can be enhanced in…

This manual describes the Wisconsin Sensorimotor Pointing Assessment (WSPA) for individuals with severe communication deficits complicated by other cognitive or motor disabilities, and provides guidelines for its administration. The WSPA was designed to quantify four categories of sensory and motor abilities necessary for initiating and accurately…