Measuring Functional Status in Thai Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Objective : The purpose of this study was to compare normal children with age-appropriate functional abilities and children with identified disabilities in Thailand. Subjects and Method : Data were collected for 157 nondisabled children and 80 children with cerebral palsy. Their ages ranged from 6 to 100 months. The Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM™) is an instrument used to assess independence in self-care, sphincter control, transfers, locomotion, communication, and social cognition. Results : The WeeFIM™ of the disabilities scored consistently lower in all areas than those of the nondisabled children (p<0.05). Total score, motor score, and cognitive subscores increased with age. When data from Thai children was compared with that from American and Japanese children, total WeeFIM mean scores for each age group and Pearson's correlation coefficients between each age group and total WeeFIM scores showed similar trends. Conclusion : WeeFIM can be used as a disability-measuring instrument for Thai children.