Results suggest that greater efforts are needed to address social participation in children and youth with ABI. Information about functional activity at discharge and child and environmental factors may provide insight into post-discharge levels of participation and service needs.

Aim The aims of the study were to (1) build new item banks for a revised version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) with four content domains: Daily Activities, Mobility, Social/Cognitive, and Responsibility and 2) use post-hoc simulations based on the combined normative and disability calibration samples to assess the accuracy and precision of the PEDI computerized adaptive tests (PEDI-CAT) in comparison to the administration of all items. Methods Parents of typically developing children (n=2,205) and parents of children with disabilities (n=703) between ages 0 to 21 years, stratified by age and gender participated by responding to PEDI-CAT surveys through an existing Internet Opt-in Survey Panel in the USA and by computer tablets in clinical sites. Results Confirmatory factor analyses supported four unidimensional content domains. Scores using the real data post-hoc demonstrated excellent accuracy (ICCs ≥0.95) with the full item banks. Simulations using item parameter estimates demonstrated relatively small bias in the 10- and 15-item CAT versions; error was generally higher at the scale extremes. Interpretation These results suggest the PEDI-CAT can be an accurate and precise assessment of children’s daily functioning at all functional levels.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the innovations, applications and impact of the original PEDI published in 1992 and to describe planned revisions. Summary of Key Points Over the past decade the PEDI has helped shift thinking from a developmental to a functional focus. Using the PEDI, researchers and clinicians worldwide have highlighted variations in functional skill acquisition in clinical populations, the importance of recognizing cultural differences, and the value of documenting functional progress in relation to interventions. Conclusions The PEDI has had a rich tradition in helping to document functional development. New methods are proposed for the next generation of the PEDI in which item banks and computer adaptive testing (CAT) will be used. Recommendations for Clinical Practice The CAT feature and the revised and expanded content of the new PEDI will enable therapists to more efficiently assess children’s functioning to a broader age group of children.

Understanding how families use and integrate strategies within the context of their daily lives and what factors influence strategy use may provide practitioners with insights needed to support families in promoting their children's social participation.

Purpose To examine the discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, administration time and acceptability of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDICAT). Method A sample of 102 parents of children three through 20 years of age with (n=50) and without (n=52) disabilities was recruited for this prospective field study. A sub-sample (n=25) also completed the PEDI-CAT a second time within one month. Parents completed 15 questions in each of the four PEDI-CAT domains (Daily Activities, Mobility, Social/Cognitive, Responsibility) using a laptop computer. Following completion, parents were asked four questions as part of a User Evaluation Survey. Results The PEDI-CAT was able to differentiate between groups of children with and without disabilities based on parent responses in all four domains. Test-retest reliability results were high (ICC=0.96 -0.99) for all four domains. The mean time to complete 60-items for the full sample (n=102) was 12.66 minutes (SD=4.47). Parents reported favorable reactions to the PEDI-CAT and were especially enthusiastic about the new Responsibility domain. Conclusions The PEDI-CAT offers a valid and reliable assessment acceptable to parents.

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Aquatic PT used as an adjunct to land-based PT interventions may be effective in improving outcomes in patients with physical disabilities.

Background and Purpose. Standardized pediatric assessment tools such as the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) numerically quantify changes during rehabilitation through test scores, but they are unable to provide client-specific information regarding important changes in function. The purpose of this study was to identify the smallest change in PEDI scores during inpatient rehabilitation that was considered to be a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) by physical therapists and other clinicians. Subjects and Methods. A retrospective review was done of the medical charts of 53 children and youth (1–19 years of age) discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Fifteen clinicians (5 physical therapists, 6 occupational therapists, and 4 speech and language pathologists) who were masked to the PEDI scores provided ratings of the magnitude of functional changes during inpatient rehabilitation using a Likert scale and a visual analog scale (VAS). Ratings by clinicians were reduced to 4 categories, including the MCID, and compared with PEDI change scores. Results. The MCIDs ranged from 6 to 15 points (X̄=11.5, 95% confidence interval=±2.8) for all PEDI scales. Likert scale and VAS ratings were correlated (τ=.73–.80). Discussion and Conclusion. Across all scales, PEDI change scores on the order of about 11% (0–100 scale) appear to be meaningful to clinicians during a child's or adolescent's inpatient rehabilitation. These data can serve as a starting point for interpreting group and individual changes on the PEDI during physical therapy intervention in inpatient rehabilitation.