Abstract
Aim: To describe current practices of physiotherapists and occupational therapists when training two-wheel bike skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP) within an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Methods: Ninety-five physiotherapists and occupational therapists working with children with CP in Australia completed a customized online survey. Survey questions related to: eligibility, initial assessment, intervention characteristics, and evaluation of effectiveness. Open-ended responses were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Close-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The ICF was used as a framework for coding and reporting. Results: Body structure and function factors were most frequently considered in eligibility (56% of observations) and assessment (47%). Activity and participation-related factors were considered more in intervention (42%) and evaluation (75%). While functional training approaches were predominant, intervention characteristics varied markedly. Excepting goal-related tools, few measures were identified for assessment or evaluation of effectiveness. Environmental and personal factors were seldom considered across practice areas. Conclusions: Current two-wheel bike skills training for children with CP in Australia appears highly variable. Development and testing of bike skills-specific outcome measures and interventions and guidance for therapists on consideration of environmental and personal factors are warranted.
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge all clinicians who participated in this survey and the assistance of those who distributed the survey invitation.
Disclosure statement
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Data availability statement
The data set reported in this article is available on request to the corresponding author.