Parents' and Therapists' Ratings of Self-Care Skills in Children with Spina Bifida

Parent reports of children's abilities and difficulties are frequently used as part of occupational therapy assessments. However, there has been limited examination of parent and therapist agreement in assessment results. This clinical pilot study examined inter-rater agreement in the ratings of children's self-care skills by their parents and an occupational therapist. The Dressing, Elimination, and Mobility sections of the Klein-Bell Activities of Daily Living Scale were used in the study. Ten parents of children aged 6 to 15 years, with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, participated in this study. With one or two exceptions, percent agreement in ratings between parents and occupational therapists was greater than 85%. This clinical pilot study demonstrated that parental report can be a reliable assessment of children's abilities in activities of daily living. The study should be replicated using a larger, more representative sample.