Goal-Directed Therapist-Guided Play-Based Intervention

Routine therapy

The GD-TG-PBI used play to improve performance in targeted functional activities. The program was planned by a physiotherapist with 25 years' experience and an occupational therapist with six years' experience in play. The sessions were based on motor-learning principles supporting cortical plasticity. Individual-specific goals were transformed into play activities that increase occupational participation with regard to the child's abilities, needs, and learning potential. A top-down approach based on direct gamification was adapted without dividing it into components, instead of a component-based, bottom-up approach. Thus, a structured play program was created and an individual-specific intervention was applied in line with the occupational goals and detailed motor evaluations. Positive, active experiences facilitated the adaptation of the learned skills to daily life.

It was used to identify children's occupational problems and determine the goals of play. The COPM is a patient-reported, semi-structured assessment for individuals aged 8 years and over; it is used for goal-setting and planning interventions (18). The participants who were older than 8 years were asked to answer by themselves, and participants who were under 8 years answered both by themselves and parent proxy to identify and score occupational performance problems experienced in self-care, productivity, and leisure. In comparing initial and final values, a change of at least 2 points indicates clinical significance (19,20). The Turkish validity and reliability was established by Torpil et al (20).

It was used to evaluate functional performance and disability level.PEDI contains 3 scales : Functional Skills Scale (FSS) that identifies clinical patterns of current skills in functional skill attainment; Caregiver Assistance Scale that indirectly measures capability and evaluates actual performance by assesing the extent of help a parent provides in daily functioning, and Modifications scale which was not used in current study. The FSS consists of self-care, mobility, and social function, including the ICF's activity and participation. It consist 197 items in total devided as 73 items in self care, 59 items in mobility and 65 items in social function. Each item is scored as unable (0) or able (1). The caregiver assistance scale measures the caregiver support with a Likert-type rating (0-5). PEDI is sensitive to show clinical changes that can guide the therapist in defining the functional level of children with CP (21-22). The Turkish validity and reliability was established (22).

The GMFCS was used for classify motor functions of participants. The GMFCS consisted five levels from 1 to 5, level 1 is the most independent whereas level 5 is fuly dependent. The Turkish GMFCS is valid and reliable.