Family centered goalsetting and evaluation: Using standardized and individualized instruments

Abstract

Purpose: Exploring how function and activities in individualized and standardized measures are related to family-selected goals, and compare change scores between the instruments. Design and Methods: A quantitative study of individualized and standardized instruments. Materials: Thirteen children with CP, mean age two years eight months participating in family-centered rehabilitation program. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66). Result: Parents identified 53 problems in COPM and 74 GAS-goals mainly in the categories personal care, mobility and play. Fourty-five percent of family-selected GAS-goals corresponded with activityproblems in COPM and skills in PEDI, while 26 percent of goals corresponded with function in GMFM-66. Individualized and standardized measures identified clinical change (p>.002), but did not correlate. Correlation between frequency of attained goals and improved scores varied in the individual child. Conclusion: COPM and PEDI are to a larger degree than GMFM reflected in family-selected goals. COPM may ensure familycentered practice, by facilitating the family’s identification of activityproblems. PEDI and GMFM secure opportunities for standardized evaluation over time. All measures were sensitive to change, and low correlations indicate that they incorporate different aspects of motor function.

Keywords

• Assessment
• goalsetting
• cerebral palsy