Child and parent perspectives of life quality of children with physical impairments compared with non-disabled peers.

BACKGROUND: Life quality has become a widely used concept within rehabilitation and occupational therapy practice. AIM: This study explored child and parent perspectives of life quality of children with physical impairments compared with a group of non-disabled children. METHOD: Data were collected with the Icelandic self- and proxy-reported versions of the KIDSCREEN-27. For children with physical impairments, reports from 34 children and 40 parents were included in the analyses, and in control group reports from 429 children and 450 parents were included. RESULTS: Children with physical impairments evaluated their life quality within the average range on four out of five life quality dimensions. The lowest scores were within the physical well-being dimension. Self-reported scores of children with physical impairments were higher than those of their parents on all dimensions except autonomy and parent relations. Thus, the parents considered more environmental and personal factors to negatively influence their child's life quality than children did themselves. CONCLUSION: Children with physical impairments experience their life quality similarly to non-disabled children. SIGNIFICANCE: Focus on life quality can help occupational therapists to identify what circumstances positively or negatively influence client well-being and to focus more on contextual factors that contribute to disablement.

Evaluation of therapy services with the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-20): the perspectives of Icelandic parents of children with physical disability.

The aim of this population-based study was to examine how parents of Icelandic children with physical disability view the services of physical, occupational, and speech therapists and how family centered those services are. A secondary aim was to compare the differences of parental perceptions of therapy services based on age, residence, and disabilities. Parents of 88 (46%) children aged 2-18 answered the Measure of Processes of Care-20 (MPOC-20), and six parents participated in a focus group interview. Descriptive data were used to explore central tendency and variability, and comparisons were made using analysis of variance. Overall, the parents found the therapy services respectful, supportive, and coordinated; they felt enabled in their parent role and worked mostly in partnership with the professionals. Nevertheless, parents perceived they received insufficient information from therapists. Parents reported a wish for more cooperation, teamwork, and a key worker. Findings indicate that the MPOC is reliable and easy to use within the Icelandic context.

Cognitive profile in young Icelandic children with cerebral palsy.

We describe the cognitive profile in a complete national cohort of children with cerebral palsy (CP). One hundred and twenty-seven Icelandic children (67 females, 60 males) with CP, born between 1985 and 2000 and assessed between the ages of 4 and 6 years 6 months (mean age 5y 5mo, SD 6mo), were included in the study. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) and developmental quotient (DQ) was obtained using various developmental scales. Physiological classification of CP in the children was: spasticity, n=104 (82%); dyskinesia, n=14 (11%); ataxia, n=six (4.7%), and unclassified CP, n=3 (2.3%). Spastic diplegia was the most prevalent subtype (35%) followed by hemiplegia and quadriplegia. Forty-five per cent of the group were at Level I of the Gross Motor Function Classification System, 32% were at Levels II and III, and 23% were at Levels IV and V. Sixty per cent of the children had an IQ or DQ >70. Median scores on the WPPSI were Full-scale IQ 84, Verbal IQ (VIQ) 92, and Performance IQ (PIQ) 77. Children with spastic diplegia and quadriplegia had a significantly lower PIQ than VIQ. Of the children who failed to complete the WPPSI, 20% had DQ >85. Thus, cognitive skills can be masked by limitations of movement and motor control in children with CP.