Functional Skills among Preschool Children with Cerebral Palsy - Assessment before and after Early Intervention.

Objective: To assess and evaluate the change in functional skills among children with cerebral palsy (CP) who participated in an intensified habilitation program. Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, a cohort of 39 preschool children (2-5 years) with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-V) together with their parents participated in an intensified multidimensional habilitation program for 1 year. Activities strengthening functional skills were among the main interventions. The children were evaluated with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory before and after the program period. Results: Only children at GMFCS levels I-II showed improvements in mobility and social function on norm-referenced scales. After the intervention period, these children scored similar to the mean for typically developing children of the same age on the social function domain. Conclusions: Functional skills among preschool children with CP, GMFCS levels I-II, seems strengthened after participation in an intensified habilitation program.