Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL™) Project
The majority of children with cerebral palsy (CP) are ambulatory, but the quality and the efficiency of their gait can be affected by their hypertonia, muscle contractures and weakness, bony deformities and joint instability. Over the course of their childhood, these children receive a multitude of interventions including various forms of physical and other therapies, orthotics and walking aids, medications, injections, neurosurgical procedures and orthopaedic surgery to address these impairments in order to preserve or improve their gait, optimize physical function and promote participation in life activities.
The purpose of this study is to 1) define the gait related priorities of children with ambulatory CP and their parents, in order to understand what they want and expect from their interventions, and 2) use this information to develop an outcome measure, that explicitly incorporates their priorities and goals, to evaluate more meaningfully, the effectiveness of interventions intended to address these priorities. As a result of this research we have developed the GOAL™. Learn more about the GOAL questionnaire.
Interested in participating?
Recruitment is ongoing.
- Who can participate? Children with cerebral palsy aged 5 to 18 years old with GMFCS level I, II or III. The parents / primary caregivers of these children may also be invited to participate by completing questionnaires.
- What is involved? Completion of a questionnaire about the goals, priorities and expectations of your child’s care, and collection of data from the child’s clinic consultations.
This work has been supported by research funding from: