A review of current tools for use with children with
cerebral palsy revealed a paucity of clinical tools to measure
balance in this population. While several tools are
used to measure balance in children, they are limited in
their utility to assess functional balance with children with
cerebral palsy. First, many motor developmental scales are
used to assess balance abilities. The items on these scales
represent typical motor development. As a result, children
with motor disabilities can perform very few of the items.
The tests are also unresponsive to small changes in functional
balance. Second, some balance tools measure the
balance deficit at the level of the impairment rather than
function, particularly those impairments found in the vestibular
and somatosensory systems. Third, some balance
tests have to be administered in a laboratory setting, and
involve using a moving platform and varying visual conditions.
5–7 These laboratory conditions are difficult to transfer
to a clinical setting.