DEVELOPMENTAL FEATURES AND ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Abstract

The current study is a theoretical and experimental overview with the main purpose of researching the specifics of the development and assessment of preschool age children with cerebral palsy. Theoretical statements are presented in relation to the nature of the different forms of cerebral palsy (CP), and in the field of motor and mental development of children with CP. A comparative presentation of applicable screening and diagnostic methods has been made. And an experimental study was conducted on 12 children with different forms of CP between the ages of 4 and 5. An assessment using Development Profile 3 and Miller Function & Participation scales (M-FUN), and the case study method was applied. The results show lower than average values of the studied group of children in terms of motor, cognitive, communicative and social-emotional development. The differences in the individual performance of children with CP are large, compared to both children without motor development disorders and within the limits of the diagnosis of CP, even when compared to children with the same diagnosis. A trend of a leading influence of cognitive development on coping in other areas of development stands out. When comparing the age indicators rate of the two diagnostic tools, large differences in the values are evident. In M-FUN, children’s lag in fine and gross motor skills is much greater than the same in the Physical Development and Adaptive Behavior DP-3 scales. It is necessary to conclude that specialized tools for the assessment of children with movement disorders, such as M-FUN, are needed for more precise diagnosis and therapeutic-educational planning for children with CP.