Development of a Challenge Assessment Tool for High-Functioning Children With an Acquired Brain Injury

Purpose: To develop a performance-based challenge assessment to evaluate gross motor abilities of high-functioning youth with an acquired brain injury (ABI). Methods: Potential items were identified from the literature. A panel of 4 expert physical therapists selected items on the basis of 3 criteria: safety to test, feasibility to administer, and importance to perform. Item reduction was completed using ratings from a physical therapist web survey. The Acquired Brain Injury-Challenge Assessment (ABI-CA) was created and pilot tested with youth with an ABI. Results: Seventy-eight items were identified and reduced to 47 items following expert panel discussion. Web-survey item reduction by 75 pediatric physical therapists yielded a 24-item ABI-CA that was administered to 6 youth with an ABI, aged 8 to 17 years. The ABI-CA mean score was 50.7/81.0 (SD = 17.4). Conclusion: The ABI-CA was feasible to administer and demonstrated gross motor activity challenges beyond the Gross Motor Function Measure. Response option refinement and measure validation are required prior to clinical/research use. (Pediatr Phys Ther 2010;22:268-276)