İnvestigation of factors affecting activity and participation ün preeschool children with cerebral palsy

Yurdakul, E., Investigation of factors affecting activity and participation in preschool children with cerebral palsy. Hacettepe University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Master Thesis, Ankara, 2021. The aim of this study is, to compare the activity and participation levels children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and typically developing children in preschool period and investigate the factors which affects the level of activity and participation children with CP in preschool period. In our study 60 children with CP between 2-6 ages and 30 children between 2-6 ages typically developing without chronic illness and their families were included. Functional status has been determined in children with CP with gross motor function level (Gross Motor Function Classification System – GMFCS), fine motor function level (Manual Ability Classification System-MACS), communication function level (Communication Function Classification System- CFCS) and eating drinking ability level (Eating Drinking Ability Classification System-EDACS).The factors were examined (functional level, problems which accompany to CP, CP type and extremity involvement, number of siblings, parents education level and age) which affecting the activity and participation evaluation results in children with CP. Activities and participation of children with CP in preschool period have been evaluated with; Pediatric Disability Assesment Inventory(PÖDE), Pediatric Functional Independence Measurement(WeeFIM), Child and Adolescent Participation Survey(CASP)and activities and participation of typically developing children have been evaluated with applying CASP and WeeFIM surveys. Surveys have been answered by the mothers of the children. Consequently; the activity and participation levels of children with CP was found lower than the activity and participation levels of typically developing children. Preschool period is one the most important factors that affecting functional case activity and participation level children with CP. According to extremity involvement in preschool children with CP there are differences between CP types in terms of activity and participation. It was found that the participation levels of children with hemiplegic CP better than the children with diplegic and quadiplegic CP, and that qudriplegic children experienced the most activity and participation restriction. In preschool period children with CP, vision problems that accompany to CP, hearing problems and epilepsy causes activity and participation restriction in child. We can say that it is important to determine the personal and familial factors that can affect the activity and participation in preschool children with CP, in structuring the rehabilitation program to increase the activity and participation in clinical practices and to increase the school and community participation in later ages.