Validating the ICF core set for cerebral palsy using a national disability sample in Taiwan

Purpose: To validate the activities and participation (d) codes of two age-specific brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) core sets for school-aged children with cerebral palsy (CP), using national dataset of the child version of the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System (FUNDES) in Taiwan. Methods: Students with CP aged 6–17.9 years (n = 546) in the national dataset were analyzed. Items of the child version of the FUNDES were linked to the ICF d-codes and matched to two brief ICF core sets for CP. The restriction rate of the linked d-codes were calculated. Random Forest regression was applied to select the important linked d-codes for predicting school participation frequency. Results: The vast majority of the content of the Taiwanese dataset was covered by two core sets. The matched d-codes represent high restriction rates (80%) and most were important for predicting school participation. One important code, d740 (formal relationships, such as relationship with teachers), identified in this study were not included in two ICF core sets. Conclusions: Two brief ICF core sets for CP capture the majority of relevant functional information collected by the child version of the FUNDES. Some additional codes not covered in the international ICF core sets should be considered for inclusion in the revised Taiwanese version.Implications for rehabilitation Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of severe physical disability in childhood. ICF core sets for CP promote a comprehensive assessment and service provision. To ensure applicability, ICF core sets for CP were validated in Taiwan using the child and youth national dataset of the child version of the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System. This study shows content validity and proposes new ICF codes additions for the Taiwanese version. Among top five ICF-based predictors for school participation frequency, four of them were consistent in both children and youth groups as d310–d350 (basic communication), d750 (informal social relationships), d820 (school education), and d710–d720, d880 and d920 (social play), which could be taken into consideration in clinical application.