Panel Discussion

Currently there is renewed interest in developing a short set of questions to measure child functioning and disability in censuses and population-based surveys. Efforts to identify a measure of child functioning and disability include the work of the United Nations sponsored Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG), Healthy People 2020, selected federal agencies that conduct surveys of children and adolescents, and non-governmental investigators. This Invited Session will include 4-6 presentations describing current efforts to develop a child disability measure. The presentations will cover 1) descriptions of various measures of child function and disability, 2) demonstrations of ways to obtain more information about various measurement initiatives (links, listservs, publications), and 3) proposals of how to continue and coordinate the effort to develop standardized measures of child disability and functioning in population-based surveys. The need to monitor trends and disparities in child functioning and development is critical for understanding the health care and educational needs of children and adolescents. It is our hope that a panel of this type will go beyond presentations of the status quo and offer a lively forum for discussion on ways to promote the development of measures of child disability and functioning that will result in nationally and perhaps internationally comparability data on child disability.

Session Objectives: Identify various measure of child disability and functioning currently in use in population-based surveys surveys. Discuss the need for - and means to - develop standardized measures of child disability and functioning.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)