The validity and reliability of the Test of Arm Selective Control for children with cerebral palsy: a prospective cross-sectional study.
Theresa Sukal-Moulton, Deborah Gaebler-Spira, Kristin J Krosschell
PMID 29383702WHAT IT FOUND
The TASC can rate selective arm control in children with cerebral palsy, and therapists scored it consistently.
It took about 16 minutes, tracked hand function and arm involvement, and did not test treatment change.
Key findings
01After brief training, three raters agreed excellently on total arm and limb TASC scores.
02TASC scores related to hand function and manual ability, and separated more affected from less affected arms in hemiplegia.
03The test averaged 16 minutes 18 seconds, and no eligible child was unable to complete it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was 56 children with spastic CP, and reliability was only tested in the first 17 participants. It excluded significant ataxia or dystonia, so it may not fit children whose movement is dominated by those problems. Few participants were at MACS level IV, and the authors note a modest sample size for greater upper extremity impairment. The study did not test whether TASC scores change over time or after therapy, so it cannot show responsiveness to treatment. Raters were a convenience sample and received only brief training, so wider clinician experience may vary. The TASC measures body structure and function, not activity or participation, so it may be influenced by strength, tone, and range of motion.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists NIH extramural research support. It does not include a competing-interests declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that the TASC can track therapy gains. It was a cross-sectional validity and reliability study, and the authors state that future work is needed to determine whether it predicts change related to intervention.