Self-concept of children with cerebral palsy measured using the population-specific myTREEHOUSE Self-Concept Assessment.
The first CP-specific self-concept tool shows most kids feel positive about themselves, with thinking skill linked to learning and social self-views.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cheong et al. (2018) tried out a brand-new tool called myTREEHOUSE. It asks kids with cerebral palsy how they feel about themselves.
The team gave the test to a small group of children. They also checked each child’s thinking skills to see if those scores line up with self-concept.
What they found
Most kids scored in the positive range on the new scale. They felt good about play, learning, and friends.
Children with stronger thinking scores also rated themselves higher in learning and social areas. Memory and problem-solving seemed to shape how kids saw their own school skills.
How this fits with other research
Five years earlier the same authors showed there was no good self-concept measure for kids with CP (Kuan et al., 2013). The 2018 paper fills that exact gap by giving the field its first CP-specific tool.
Krakovsky et al. (2007) found teens with CP lose daily skills and feel anxious. Kuan’s work adds a bright spot: self-worth can still look healthy when we ask the right questions.
Coceski et al. (2021) warn that motor problems can hide IQ. Kuan’s team took the same care, using pictures and short items so speech or hand limits would not skew self-concept scores.
Why it matters
You now have a quick picture-based scale made for kids with CP. Use it during intake to spot children who feel bad about school or peers even when they smile and comply. Pair the results with a motor-free cognitive test to see if thinking gaps are dragging self-views down. Target those domains in your social-skills or academic programs, and re-check after a few months to show families real change in how kids see themselves.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Self-concept is an individual's perception of him/herself. Research into the self-concept of children with cerebral palsy (CP) has been sparse due to the lack of a population-specific self-concept instrument. Using the new myTREEHOUSE Self-Concept Assessment, this study investigated the self-concept of children with CP in relation to age, gender, motor, communication and cognitive function. Children with CP aged 8-12 years (n = 50; 29 males; mean 10 years 2 months; GMFCS-E&R I = 36, II = 8, III = 5, IV = 1) completed myTREEHOUSE and a standardised intelligence measure. Most children reported positive self-concept from all three myTREEHOUSE Performance Perspectives and over half (60%) fell within the Low range for the Personal Concern Score. Self-concept was not associated with age, gender, motor function, or communication function. However, for cognitive function, associations were observed for Social Skills (Below Average > Average cognitive function; Cohen's d = 1.07) and Learning Skills (Above Average > Average cognitive function; Cohen's d = 0.95) domains when rated from a Personal Performance Perspective. As the first study of the self-concept of children with CP using a CP-specific assessment, this study offers important insights into what children with CP think about themselves. Generally, the self-concept of children with CP was sound. Future research on environmental facilitators and barriers to robust self-concept development is recommended.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.12.001