Validation of the Klein-Bell Activities of Daily Living Scale for Children
Occupational therapists require reliable and valid activities of daily living assessments to describe patient performance and to aid in treatment evaluation and planning. A recently developed instrument, the Klein-Bell ADL Scale has been shown to have acceptable reliability and validity for use with adults. This paper reports the results of an initial study designed to evaluate the utility of the Klein-Bell ADL Scale for use with children. Developmental ages reported in the literature were used to adapt the scale for use with children ages six months to adulthood. Its reliability, construct validity and responsiveness were tested in a total sample of 10 normal and 10 cerebral palsied children. Results indicate that the scale is reliable, is able to differentiate normal from handicapped children and demonstrates acceptable agreement with parental ratings of change in ADL skills. The Klein-Bell ADL Scale was also found to be an effective communication tool between therapists and parents of disabled children.