Back to all Outcome Measures & Assessments

The Challenge

The Challenge is a dynamic, 20 item assessment of advanced motor skills designed to extend upon the foundation skills of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) and be used with children with cerebral palsy who are aged 6 years and up, ambulatory without devices (i.e., in GMFCS Level I or II).

The Challenge Training Workshops

Certification training is required prior to use of the Challenge to ensure sufficient familiarity with the items and response options, and to optimize scoring accuracy.
Certification training consists of:
  • Two 4-hour Zoom-based sessions
  • Independent review of training videos after the course
  • Practice with several children
  • Completion of the Challenge criterion tests
Live Training Sessions
  • Two 4-hour, interactive Zoom sessions
  • Small group learning experience with other PTs
  • View and score course videos of children with CP doing the Challenge.
  • Access to the Challenge certification test as the final part of the training
Certification
After successful completion of the training workshops and certification tests, participants will receive an official Challenge certificate
  • Upcoming Training Dates
If you are interested in organizing a training date for interested physiotherapists who are in a your time zone region, please contact Virginia Wright to discuss the possibilities and have your name put onto the next Zoom training list for your region.
Write your awesome label here.
Empty space, drag to resize
PRODUCT Contents
  • Challenge Administration Manual*† 
  • Item worksheet
  • Engagement guidelines*
  • Score form*† 
  • Excel scoresheets (% and Rasch)
  • 5 Training Videos: Exclusive online access to the training videos for further self-study after the live sessions
  • 2 Criterion Test Videos
* also available in Danish
† also available in Portuguese (Brazil)

authors

More information about the Challenge workshop:

Who is this course for?

This workshop will be of interest to pediatric physiotherapists and physicians who have clinical experience with using the Gross Motor Function Measure or other gross motor tests with ambulatory children with CP (those in GMFCS Levels I and II) and want to learn additional ways of assessing the gross motor movement of these children.

Pediatric occupational therapists who actively use gross motor tests in their clinical practice or research may also be interested in taking part.

What are the objectives of the Challenge Workshop?

  • Review the current methods measuring advanced motor skills in children with CP
  • Learn about the content and structure of the Challenge and its potential uses
  • Become familiar with the Challenge’s generic and item-specific scoring system
  • Learn the process of administering and scoring a Challenge assessment through videos with typically developing children and then similar aged children with CP.
  • Score the performance of the Challenge by children with CP (videos) and apply Challenge scoring
  • Consider how a child’s body language provides additional valuable information on a child’s confidence, awareness and motor skill performance
  • Acquire tips for implementing the Challenge in clinical and research practice
  • Review the next steps of self-training using the Challenge video materials posted for  exclusive use of course participants
  • Outcomes website access to Challenge Criterion Test post-course
  • NEW: This course will also contain an introduction and access to the new Challenge-FUN, a pilot-tested re-creation of the Challenge for use with children in GMFCS Level III.

How will this course be taught?

The Zoom-based workshop is a combination of lecture style session with group discussion during viewing and Zoom poll-based scoring of sample training videos. After the course, self-study of on-line training videos (available only to course participants) will be done prior to completion of the on-line Criterion Test (certification). Offered as two ½ day Zoom sessions within a one month period (4 hours first session, and 4.5 hours second session).

Will I receive a certificate of attendance or completion?

Certificates of attendance will be provided by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Canada. This Certificate implies neither the certification nor competence as an assessor on either test. On successful completion of the Challenge Criterion Test after self-study of the web-based materials, a Criterion Test Certificate will be issued.

What attendees have said:

  • The course was presented very well, engaged participants and more importantly the children so well! Virginia was always open to thoughts that were offered.
  • The Challenge looks very promising and looks like it will link well with GAS goal setting, next step would be to develop curves and I would be keen to contribute.
  • I'm looking forward to trying out the Challenge in my clinical practice to inform goal setting which is relevant to the individual child and to evidence effective therapeutic interaction.
  • The most useful parts were the discussion and observation/demo of challenge module being carried out and [seeing] how to adapt items/cue to different ages and abilities.
  • Thank you so much for the Challenge and Quality FM courses. I have been waiting several years for someone to come up with these measures. That will help me no end clinically. The most useful training that I have attended in a very long while.
  • I am quite excited to try out and administer in practice with patients and share with the team to ensure we use more standardised assessment criteria to improve development of goals with patients.
  • Thank you for sharing your passion, knowledge and enthusiasm. So inspiring to see how working to improve children’s lives is being is vehemently put into practice.
AUTHOR AND INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Virginia Wright

Senior Scientist
Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Professor
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
Want to see more?
Created with