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PART 1 WORKING WITH THE CHILD AND FAMILY: Information on different DisabilitiesA. Where Do We Start? 021 CHAPTER 4Examining and Evaluating the Disabled Child![]() To decide what kind of special help, if any, a disabled child may need, first we need to learn as much as we can about the child. Although we may be concerned about her difficulties, we must always try to look at the whole child. Remember that:
The aim of rehabilitation is to help the child to function better at home and in the community. So when you examine a child, try to relate all your observations to what the child can do, cannot do, and might be able to do. What a child is and does depends partly on other persons. So we must also look at the child's abilities and difficulties in relation to her home, her family, and her village or neighborhood. To evaluate a child's needs, try to answer these questions:
To find the answers to these questions, a health or rehabiIitation worker needs to do 3 tlhings:
022 Observation of the child can begin from the first moment the health worker or rehabilitation worker sees the child and her family. It can begin in the waiting area of a village center, the home, or the street, and should continue through the history-taking, examination, and follow-up visits. Therefore, we do not discuss 'observation' separately, but include it with these other areas. It is usually best to ask questions BEFORE beginning to examine the child-so that we have a better idea what to look for. Therefore, we will discuss history-taking and then examination. But first a word about keeping records. RECORD KEEPINGFor a village rehabilitation worker who helps many children, writing notes or records can be important for following their progress. Also, parents of a disabled child may find that keeping simple records gives them a better sense of how their child is doing. Six sample RECORD SHEETS are on Pages 37 to 41, 50, 292, and 293. You can use these as a guide for getting and recording basic information. But you will want to follow with more detailed questions and examination, depending on what you find.
Sheets 1 and 2 will be useful for most disabled children. Sheets 3, 4, and 6 are for children who may have brain damage or seem slow for their age. Sheet 5 is a simple form for evaluating the progress of children 5 years old or older. HISTORY TAKINGOn Pages 37 and 38 you will find a record sheet for taking a child's history. You can use it as a guide for the kinds of questions it is important to ask. (Of course, some of the questions will apply more to some children than others, so ask only where the information might be helpful.) When asking questions, we rehabilitation workers must always remember that parents and family are the only real 'experts' on their child. They know what she can and cannot do, what she likes and does not like, in what ways she manages well, and where she has difficulties. However, sometimes part of the parents' knowledge is hidden. They may not have put all the pieces of knowledge together to form a clear picture of the child's needs and possibilities. The suggestions in this chapter, and the questions on the RECORD SHEETS, may help both rehabilitation workers and parents to form a clearer picture of their child's needs and possibilities.
023 EXAMINING THE DISABLED CHILDAfter finding out what we can by asking questions, our next step is to examine the child. In as friendly a way as possible, we carefully observe or test what parts of the child work well, what parts work poorly, and how this affects the child's ability to do things and respond to the world around him.
In examination of a disabled child, we may check on many things:
In addition, a completephysical examination would include checking the health of systems inside the body. Although this part of the examination, if needed, is usually done by health workers, rehabilitation workers need to know that with certain disabilities inner body systems may also be affected. Depending on the disability, these may include:
A detailed examination of all a child's parts and functions could take hours or days. Fortunately, in most children this is not necessary. Instead, start by observing the child in a general way. Based on the questions you have already asked and your general observations, try to find anything that seems unusual or not quite right. Then examine in detail any body parts or functions that might relate to the disability. 024 Part of the art of examining a child is KNOWING WHEN TO STOP. it is important to check everything that might help us understand the child's needs. But it is equally important to win the child's confidence and friendship. Too much examining and testing can push any child to the point of fear and anger. Some children reach their limit long before others. So we must learn how much each child can take - and try to examine the child in ways that she accepts. ![]() Some children require a much more complete examination than others. For example:
Examining techniques: Winning the child's confidenceDepending on how you go about it, the physical examination can help you become a child's friend or turn you into his enemy. Here are a few suggestions: ![]()
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026
![]() When you want to test a child's 'eye-to-hand coordination' (for possible balance problems or brain damage) you might make a game out of having the child touch the nose of a doll. Or have her turn on a flashlight (torch) by pushing its button. Also, when he begins to get restless, stop examining for a while and play with him, or let him rest.
By testing the good side first, you start by giving the child encouragement with what he can do well. Also, if the child does not move the weaker side, you will know it is because he cannot, and not because he does not understand or is not trying. ![]()
027 TESTING RANGE OF MOTION OF JOINTS AND STRENGTH OF MUSCLESChildren who have disabilities that affect how they move often have some muscles that are weak or 'paralyzed'. As a result, they often do not move parts of their bodies as much as is normal. Loss of strength and active movement may in time lead to a stiffening of joints or shortening of muscles (contractures, see Chapter 8). As a result, the affected part can no longer be moved through its complete, normal range of motion.
In the physical examination of a child with any weakness or paralysis of muscles, or joint pain, or scarring from injuries or burns, it is a good idea to test and record both RANGE OF MOTION and MUSCLE STRENGTH of all Parts of the body that might have contractures or be affected. There are 2 reasons for this:
For testing range of motion and muscle strength, it helps to first know what is normal. You can practice testing non-disabled, active persons. They should be of the same ages as the disabled children you will test. Age matters because babies are usually weaker and have much more flexible joints than older children. For example:
028 In different children (and sometimes in the same child) you may need to check range of motion and strength in the hips, knees, ankles, feet, toes, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, back, shoulder blades, neck, and jaw. Some joints have 6 or more movements to test: bending, straightening, opening, closing, twisting in, and twisting out. See, for example, the different hip movements (range-of -motion exercises) on Page 380 in Chapter 42. To test both 'range of motion' and 'strength', first check 'range of motion'. Then you will know that when a child cannot straighten a joint, it is not just because of weakness. Range-of-motion testing: Example:Knee 1. Ask the child to straighten it as much as she can. ![]() 2. If she cannot straighten it all the way, gently see how far you can straighten it. without forcing.
![]() 3. If at first the joint will not straighten, keep trying with gentle continuous pressure for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. If a joint will not straighten completely, try with the child in different positions.
For this reason, each time you test range of motion to measure changes, be sure the child is in the same position. ![]() Position affects how much certain joints straighten or bend. This is true in any child, but especially in a child with spasticity (see Pages 101 to 103). 5. In addition to checking how much a joint straightens, check how much it bends.
6. Also check for too much range of motion.
Usually the best positions for checking range of motion are the same as those for doing range-of-motion and stretching exercises. These are shown in Chapter 42. For methods of measuring and recording range of motion, see Chapter 5. 029 Precautions when testing for contracturesTesting range of motion of the ankles, knees, and hips is important for evaluating many disabled children. We have already discussed knees. Here are a few precautions when testing for contractures of ankles and hips. Ankle
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Hip ![]() To check how far the hip joint straightens, have the child hold his other knee to his chest, like this, so that his lower back is flat against the table. If his thigh will not lower to the table without the back lifting, he has a bent-hip contracture. (See Page 79.)
030 Muscle testingMuscle strength can be anywhere between normal and zero. Test it like this:
Test the strength of all muscles that might be affected. Here are some of the muscle tests that are most useful for figuring out the difficulties and needs of different children.
Ankle and Foot
![]() If the child can walk, see if she can stand and walk on her heels and her toes. Note: Sometimes when the muscles that normally lift the feet are weak, the child uses his toe-lifting muscles to lift his foot.
Also notice if the foot tips or pulls more to one side. This may show 'muscle imbalance'. (See Page 78.)
031
Knee
Hips
SIDEWAYS LIFT ![]() Note: Weak hip muscles sometimes lead to dislocation of the hip. Be sure to check for this, too. (See Page 155.) Testing side-of-hip muscles is important for evaluating why a child limps or whether a hip-band may be needed on a long-leg brace.
032 Stomach and Back
![]() You can check a child's trunk control and strength of stomach, back, and side muscles like this. Have him hold his body upright over his hips, then lean forward and back, and side to side, and twist his body. ![]() If a child's stomach and back muscles are weak, he may need braces with a body Support- or a wheelchair.
Shoulders, Arms, and Hands When a child's legs are severely paralyzed but she has FAIR or better trunk strength, she may be able to walk with crutches if her shoulders, arms, and hands are strong enough. ![]() Therefore, an important test is this. Can she lift her butt off the seat like this? If she can, she has a good chance for walking with crutches. If she cannot lift herself, check the strength in her shoulders and arms: ARMS ![]() ![]() SHOULDERS ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() If the shoulder pushes down strongly but her elbow-straightening muscles are weak, she may be able to use a crutch with an elbow support. ![]() Or, if her elbow range of motion is normal, she may learn to 'lock' her elbow back like this. However, this can lead to elbow problems. 033 You may want to make a chart something like this and hang it in your examining area, as a reminder. In muscle testing, it is especially important to note the difference between FAIR and POOR. This is because FAIR is often strong enough to be fairly useful (for standing, walking, or lifting arm to eat). POOR is usually too weak to be of much use.
Sometimes with exercise POOR muscles can be strengthened to FAIR; this can greatly increase their usefulness. It is much less common for a TRACE muscle to increase to a useful strength (FAIR), no matter how much it is exercised. (However, if muscle weakness is due to lack of use, as in severe arthritis, rather than to paralysis, a POOR muscle can sometimes be strengthened with exercise to GOOD or even NORMAL. Also, in very early stages of recovery from polio or other causes of weakness, POOR or TRACE strength sometimes returns to FAIR or better.) 034 Other things to check in a physical examinationDifference in leg length. When one leg is weaker, it usually grows slower, and becomes shorter than the other leg. An extra thick sole on the sandal might help the child stand straighter, limp less, and avoid curving of the spine. A short leg may also be a sign of a dislocated hip. So it helps to check for, and to measure, difference in leg length. (For tests, see Page 155 and 156.) If the child can stand, ![]() If she cannot stand, have her lie as straight as she can. Feel and then mark, on both sides of her body, the bony lumps ![]() ![]() Then measure from here to here with a tape measure or string. Measure each leg and record the difference. If you used a string, just draw lines on your record sheet showing the actual difference in leg length. Curve of the spineEspecially when one leg is shorter or there are signs of muscle imbalance in the stomach or back, be sure to check for abnormal curve of the spine (back bone). The 3 main types of spinal curve (which may occur separately or in combination) are: Sideways curve (scoliosis) ![]() shoulder higher on side of short leg Check for weaker muscles on this side of spine. ![]() Have the child bend over. Check for a rib hump on outer side of curve. Hunch back, rounded back (kyphosis) ![]() May result from weak back muscles, or poor posture. Swayback (lordosis) ![]() May result from weak stomach muscles or bent-hip contractures. (Be sure to check for these.) ![]() Some spinal curves will straighten when a child changes her position, lies down, or bends over. Other spinal curves will not straighten, and these are usually more serious. For more information about examining spinal curve and deformities of the back, see Chapter 20. 035 EXAMINING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM![]() Sometimes physical disability results from problems in the muscles, bones, or joints themselves. But often it comes from a problem in, or damage to, the nervous system. Depending on what part of the nervous system is affected, the disability will have different patterns. For example, polio affects only certain action nerves at points in the spinal cord (or brain stem). It therefore affects movement. It never affects sensorynerves, so sight, hearing, and feeling stay normal. (See Chapter 7.) A spinal-cord injury, however, can damage or cut both the sensory and action nerves, so that both movement and feeling are lost. (See Chapter 23.) Unlike polio and spinal-cord injury, which come from damage to nerves in the spine, cerebral palsy comes from damage to the brain itself. Because any part or parts of the brain may be damaged, any or all parts of the body may be affected: movement, sense of balance, seeing, hearing, speech, and mental ability. (See Chapter 9.) Therefore, how completely you examine the workings of the nervous system will depend partly on what disability the child appears to have. If it is fairly clear the disability comes from polio, little examination of the nervous system is needed. But sometimes polio and cerebral palsy can be confused. If you have any suspicion that the disability might be caused by brain damage, you will want to do a fairly complete exam of nervous system function.Damage to the brain or nervous system can cause problems in any of these areas:
Methods for testing some of these things are included on the next few pages and on the RECORD SHEETS 2, 3, and 4. Other tests that you will need less often, we include with specific disabilities. Refer to the page numbers listed above. 036 EVALUATION OF A CHILD WHOSE DEVELOPMENT IS SLOWFor the child who cannot do as much as other children do at the same age, a special developmental evaluation may be helpful. Additional information about the child's mother during pregnancy, or any difficulties during or after birth may explain possible causes. Measurement of the distance around the head may show possible causes of problems or other important factors. Repeated head-size measurements (once a month at first) may tell us even more. ![]() For example, a child who has had meningitis (brain infection) at age 1, and whose head almost stops growing from that age on, will probably remain quite retarded. We should not expect a lot. However, if the child's head continues to grow normally, the child may have better possibilities for learning and doing more (although we cannot be sure). ![]() A child who is born with a 'sack on the back' (spina bifida, see Page 167) may have a head that is bigger than average. If the head continues to grow rapidly, this is a danger sign (see Page 41 and 169). Unless the child has surgery, she may become severely retarded or die. If, however, the monthly measurements show that the head has stopped growing too fast, the problem may have corrected itself. She may not need surgery. RECORD SHEET 4, on page 41, covers additional questions relating to child development, and includes a chart for recording and evaluating head size. To help the child who is developmentally delayed, you will first want to evaluate her level of physical and mental development. Chapter 34, Pages 287 to 300, explains ways to do this. You can use the Child Development Chart on Pages 292 and 293 to find a child's developmental level, to plan her step-by-step activities, and to evaluate and record her progress. We have marked this 2-page chart, RECORD SHEET 6. RECORD SHEETSOn the next 5 pages are the sample RECORD SHEETS that we discussed on Page 22. You are welcome to copy and use them. However, they are not perfect. They were developed for use by the village rehabilitation team in Mexico, and we are still trying to improve them. Before you make copies, we suggest that you adapt them to meet the needs of your area.
In addition to the 4 RECORD SHEETS here, you may also want copies of RECORD SHEET 5 "Evaluation of Progress," Page 50, and RECORD SHEET 6, "Child Development Chart," Pages 292 and 293.
037 ![]() 038 ![]() 039 ![]() 040 ![]() 041 ![]() 042 ![]() Go back to the CONTENTS Disabled Village Children A guide for community health workers, rehabilitation workers, and families by David Werner Published by The Hesperian Foundation P.O. Box 11577 Berkeley, CA 94712-2577 Copyright © 1987 by the Hesperian Foundation 2nd edition, 5th printing February 1999 |
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