The Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for individuals with

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...

(CP) is a five-level classification system which began development at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

and currently under further refinement at the University of Kentucky. The research, organized and conducted by Dr. Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP, follows two widely used classification systems for cerebral palsy: the

Gross Motor Function Classification System The Gross Motor Function Classification System or GMFCS is a 5 level clinical classification system that describes the gross motor function of people with cerebral palsy on the basis of self-initiated movement abilities. Particular emphasis in cre ...

(GMFCS) and the

Manual Ability Classification System The Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) is a medical classification system used to describe how children aged from 4 to 18 years old with cerebral palsy use their hands with objects during activities of daily living, with a focus on the use ...

(MACS). Dr. Ray Kent of the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

, Dr. Peter Rosenbaum of

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

, and Dr.

Nigel Paneth Nigel Sefton Paneth (born 19 September 1946) is an English pediatrician and epidemiologist who serves as Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics at Michigan State University. He is known for his research on the causes of child ...

are also an integral part of this research.

CFCS Variables

Design and development of the CFCS addressed a number of issues in cerebral palsy including a general lack of knowledge regarding the communication abilities of individuals with CP. The 5 CFCS levels are used instead of the more vague labels of "mild, moderate, severe, profound" difficulties. The system is designed to be a quick and simple instrument used by a person familiar with the individual to be classified. Variables of communication ability used within the CFCS include sender roles (being able to communicate a message to someone), receiver roles (being able to understand a message from someone), pace of communication, and the degree of familiarity with a communication partner. The CFCS follows the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

's (WHO's)

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a classification of the health components of functioning and disability. The ICF received approval from all 191 World Health Organization (WHO) member states on May 22 ...

(ICF).

Purposes

Possible benefits of the CFCS include describing functional communication performance using a common language among professionals and laypersons and recognizing the use of all effective methods of communication including

augmentative and alternative communication Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. AAC is used by t ...

(AAC). The CFCS can be used in research projects as a way of describing the communication performance of participants. The CFCS can be used clinically by parents and professionals to open-up discussions regarding how different communication environments, partners, and/or communication tasks might affect an individual's CFCS level and to choose goals to improve the person's communication effectiveness.

References

External links

The Communication Function Classification System

The Manual Abilities Classification System

The Gross Motor Function Classification System
{{cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes Medical scoring system