PEDI and the PEDI-CAT

The purpose of the PEDI and PEDI-CAT is to determine a person’s ability to perform day-to-day tasks like dressing, brushing teeth, doing up buttons, walking and socialising. It can identify if someone has functional delays and then monitor their improvements during treatment.

The PEDI and PEDI-CAT can be used for newborns to 21-year-olds with a wide-range of developmental disabilities.

The PEDI and PEDI-CAT are questionnaires used to obtain information about a person from their parent or care giver in the following domains:

• Daily Activities – can the person perform everyday activities like putting on socks, drinking through a straw or using an electric razor to shave their face?
• Mobility – can the person move around adequately? Can they walk without aids, transfer from sitting to standing position, walk up steps and kick a ball?
• Social/Cognitive – can a person interact and communicate with others at their level of cognition and manage their own behaviour?
• Responsibility (for people aged between three and 21 years) – can the person perform independent living tasks like getting ready on time in the morning and taking care of minor health needs?

The responses on the questionnaire are scored on a four-point scale ranging from ‘unable’ to ‘easy’. These scores are then compared to other test subjects in the same age group to rate performance against the general population. The test is then performed again later on so the person’s progress can be measured over time.

• The PEDI takes 45 to 60 minutes to complete.
• With the PEDI-CAT, there are two different options; the Speedy CAT which has fewer items and takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or the Content-balanced CAT which has more items and takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes.

Training

The PEDI should be administered by a trained health professional, like an occupational therapist, who has experience using the assessment.

The PEDI-CAT can be administered by a trained health professional or a parent or caregiver, however the manual should always be reviewed beforehand to familiarise oneself with the assessment.

Cost

The manuals that are essential to administer the assessments can be purchased online:

• PEDI-CAT manual
• PEDI manual

Method

The method will depend on whether the PEDI or PEDI-CAT is being used.

• The PEDI is a paper-based system, while the PEDI-CAT requires a computer for scoring.
• The PEDI-CAT can also be completed directly by the parent or caregiver, whereas the PEDI must be administered by an experienced health professional.

Psychometric properties reviewed

Construct validity – Several studies have assessed the concurrent validity of both the PEDI and the PEDI-CAT. The PEDI shows excellent concurrent validity with the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)^2,3 while the PEDI-CAT shows fair concurrent validity against the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS)⁴, and good results when assessed against the PEDI functional scale⁵. Both versions of the PEDI show adequate discriminant validity (t = 4.7-7.6, p = <0.0001). This means that the assessment can distinguish equally between those with and without disability⁶.

Reliability – Item-specific reliability (i.e. how reliable individual assessment items are) of the PEDI-CAT shows fair to excellent results (ICC = 3.4-1.0; percentage agreement 60-100%)⁵.

Reliability – Responsiveness has been reviewed on both versions of the assessment. The PEDI shows good results (effect size = > 0.5, SRM = >0.5) indicating that it is responsive to change⁷. The PEDI-CAT also shows good responsiveness to change (75% percentage change)⁴.