Content and Criterion Validation of the Chailey Levels of Ability

• Published in: Physiotherapy Vol. 85; no. 8; pp. 410 - 416
• Main Authors: Pountney, Teresa E, Cheek, Liz, Green, Elizabeth, Mulcahy, Catharine, Nelham, Roy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1999; Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Subjects: assessment; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral palsy; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; validity; Cerebral palsy; assessment; validity; Human; Validation; Evaluation; Nervous system diseases; Cerebral disorder; Validity; Capacity; Central nervous system disease; Clinical investigation; Child; Motricity; Measurement scale
• ISSN: 0031-9406; 1873-1465
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9406(05)65499-5

This paper reports the validation of the Chailey Levels of Ability, which were established to assess motor ability in children and young adults with low levels of physical ability. This was a response to a need for a scale that detailed physical ability at low levels and could record discrete changes in ability. Rather than neurological signs, biomechanical and other developmental changes were detailed, providing a basis for the prescription of treatment and equipment. The Chailey Levels of Ability have been in use for 10 years and have gradually been refined for clinical use with children and young adults with cerebral palsy. They are used as an assessment measure that can be used as a prescriptive and evaluative measure. The validation of the Chailey Levels of Ability would enable them to be used for both clinical and research work as standardised tests. Content and concurrent criterion validation were performed to establish the validity of the Chailey Levels of Ability. Content validity was established and correlations were high and positive between the Chailey Levels of Ability and both the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and the Gross Motor Function Measure.