WEEFIM - NORMATIVE SAMPLE OF AN INSTRUMENT FOR TRACKING FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE IN CHILDREN

A cross-sectional community sample of 417 children, ages 6 months to 8 years without developmental delays or in developmental programs, was seen. The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) was used to assess independence in self-care, sphincter control, transfers, locomotion, communication, and social cognition. Mean total WeeFIM was similar for males and females. There was a significant correlation between the age of the child in months and total WeeFIM scores for children ages 2 to 5 years (n = 222, r = .80, P<.01). There was a progressive increase of functional independence with increasing chronological age across all WeeFIM domains. We conclude that the WeeFIM is a useful instrument for measuring disability in children.