Linking the Carolina Curriculum for preschoolers with special needs to the ICF-CY

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore resources to improve the assessment-intervention-process for young children with special needs. The Biopsychosocial Model of development, along with the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY; WHO, 2007), provide a theoretical framework, as well as a classification system, that enable the documentation of functionality profiles of children using a common language across settings and disciplines. The Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs (CCPSN; Johnson-Martin et al., 1990) is a curriculum based assessment measure, which provides information both for the assessment of children's behaviour as well as for planning interventions. In line with the World Health Organization's recommendations for developing correspondences between assessment measures and the ICF-CY classification system, this study presents results of the linkage between ICF-CY and CCPSN, using deductive content analysis and the previously published linking rules (Cieza et al., 2005). Results show a moderate level of reliability based on inter-rater agreement between the coders who developed the linkage process, as measured by Kappa Cohen's coefficient. In addition, we found that the CCPSN covers body functions as well as activities and participation considered in the ICF-CY, but does not cover the environmental factors or body structures domains.