Friday, July 22, 2011

Classification Systems for Cerebral Palsy

The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) is widely used to describe the functional levels of children with cerebral palsy. There is also a Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) used to describe the functional use of the hands of children with cerebral palsy. Now an additional classification system has been developed - the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) to describe everyday communication of children with cerebral palsy. You can view each classification at the following links:

Gross Motor Function Classification System
Manual Ability Classification System
Communication Function Classification System





Teaching Motor Skills to Children with Cerebral Palsy

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think these classification systems are useful in practice. I do read parents that sometimes seems to misinterpret the meaning of the levels.

Hey! I can comment here again!

Barbara

Your Therapy Source Inc said...

So happy you can comment again. YEAH!!!! You were missed.

How do parents misinterpret the levels? What the actual levels mean or they put their child at the wrong level?

Anonymous said...

Some want a perfect match of the level-description and their child's motor function - on and on in a way that does not add perspective. Mostly parents are reporting what physicians have told them in terms of levels ->prognosis with the subsequent emotional response (rightfully so but not the intent of the classification scale). IMHO.

Sometimes I have wondered if sharing the level with a parent is a good idea. Barbara

Your Therapy Source Inc said...

I think sharing a GMFCS level with a parent is much more beneficial than reporting a developmental age. For example, I can not stand when a therapist reports a developmental age of say 6 months of age when the child is 10 years old. Not sure what this accomplishes. Especially if the child's cognitive age matches the chronological age.

Anonymous said...

Just getting back now, sorry, and I really should be in bed already....

I wholeheartedly agree with you about the lame reporting of developmental age to parents of school age children. GMFCS is much more useful/beneficial in that comparison.

Barbara

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