An Scale for Activity of Daily Living for Iranian Children (ADLIC): Development and Validation

Background: Activity of daily living as an ultimate goal of rehabilitation relies on cultural and environmental factor. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire based on Occupational therapy practice frame to accurately evaluate the occupational performance of Iranian children. Methods: This scale was developed in two phases of planning and constructing. The planning phase involved a literature review and a collection of the available evaluation tools in the area. The advice of two expert panels was used to develop a preliminary 87-item questionnaire. In the construction phase, 40 parents were surveyed to assess the popularity of the activities in Iran. After a face to content validation, the final version of the questionnaire was prepared with 93 items. Results: The final 93-item questionnaire was used to assess the daily activity of 3-6 year old children. The 93 items, selected according to criteria found in the literature and the panel of experts, were categorized in 6 areas of occupational therapy practice framework (bathing/showering, washing, personal hygiene, toileting, eating/feeding, functional mobility). Conclusion: The activity of daily living for Iranian children is a useful and culturally relevant tool for measuring the occupational performance of Iranian children. It can be utilized in clinical and population-based researches.