Clinical review of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory

The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) is a
measure of functional impairment in children. It was
developed at the New England Medical Centre Hospitals in
Boston, USA, by Haley et al (1992), who have backgrounds
including occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology
and computing. The PEDI is a standardised test designed to
identify and describe functional impairment in children,
monitor progress and be used as an outcome measure to
evaluate different therapeutic programmes. This report
summarises experiences using the PEDI and the findings
following repeat administrations on 10 children with
cerebral palsy attending the Bobath Centre for therapy.
The child’s current functional performance is measured in
the three domains of self-care, mobility and social function.
The PEDI includes three measurement scales: ‘functional
skills’, measuring capability to perform tasks; ‘caregiver
assistance’, looking at how much assistance the child typically
requires in the same areas; and ‘modifications’, identifying the
equipment used by the child to carry out the tasks. The PEDI
is administered by interview using the structured
questionnaire provided. The interviewee may be the child’s
parent/caregiver or a therapist/teacher who knows the child
well (Haley et al 1992).