Intervention in a Child with Cerebral Palsy Focusing on Real-Life Movements in Home-Visit Rehabilitation

This case report aimed to examine whether real-life activities of daily living (ADL) instruction in home-visit rehabilitation was effective in reducing the amount of ADL assistance for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The participant was a boy aged 13 years with CP. Interventions included movement instructions for dressing the upper body and washing during bathing. Instruction for dressing the upper body focused on learning to pass the upper extremity through the cuff. The therapist guided the upper extremity movements during washing. Later, with the emergence of spontaneous washing, it was modified to washing with the therapist’s verbal instructions only. The mothers, who were the primary caregivers, were taught to perform each movement. The frequency of the intervention was once every 2 weeks with a duration of 60 min per intervention. Consequently, the dressing the upper body item of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) improved from 2 points before the intervention to 5 points. The washing item of the FIM also improved from 2 to 4 points. In conclusion, it was suggested that real-life ADL instruction in home-visit rehabilitation may be effective in reducing the amount of ADL assistance for children with CP.

Keywords: cerebral palsy, real-life based on movement methods, home-visit rehabilitation, Activities of daily living.