ICF

From time to time in the field of healthcare, an exciting new development emerges to challenge and potentially transform thinking and behaviour. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and its framework is undoubtedly one of these transformative resources and is increasingly widely used in the field of childhood disability.

This accessible handbook introduces the ICF to professionals working with children with disabilities and their families. It contains an overview of the elements of the ICF but focusses on practical applications, including how the ICF framework can be used with children, families and carers to formulate health and management goals. The Appendices contain case studies for individuals and interdisciplinary teams to work through and discuss, alongside other resources, and a copy of an ICF code set for children and youth is available to download online.

Importantly, the book includes a chapter written by a parent of a child with impairments, illustrating the potential diverse applications of the ICF framework. The ICF’s relationship with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and future alternatives to the current ICF framework are also examined.

Clinicians, paediatricians and other healthcare providers in neurodisability, community-based health professionals, policy makers and the families and carers of children with disabilities will find this title an indispensable resource.

Olaf de Camargo is Associate Professor at the Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre of McMaster Children's Hospital in Ontario Canada. He is certified in Medical Quality Management, a member of the steering committee for Physicians of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Advocacy Network), and Education Resource Person for the paediatric residents rotating through the division of Developmental Paediatrics. He is also Director for Continuous Medical Education for the Department of Paediatrics at McMaster Children's Hospital.

Liane Simon is Professor of transdisciplinary early childhood intervention and Head of Department Family, Child and Social Work at the Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg Germany. She is a member of the German delegation at WHO meetings concerning the family of international classifications, co-chair of the board of the Northern German Association of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Intervention and Head of Early intervention Norderstedt, Germany.

Gabriel M. Ronen, MD, MSc (health research methodology), FRCP(C) (paediatric neurology)
Professor of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a paediatric neurologist he has a wide range of experience with children and youth with neurological conditions. He has been an active clinician, researcher, teacher and mentor with a particular interest in children with epilepsy.

Peter L. Rosenbaum is Professor of Paediatrics at McMaster University and the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, Ontario Canada. He is a developmental paediatrician with over 40 years’ experience of clinical, health services research and educational activities in the field of childhood disability. His passion has been to move the paradigms in childhood disability beyond a preoccupation with impairments to focus on child and family development and function.