An evaluation of the use of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) to measure social participation after pediatric ABI in a specialist service in East Anglia

Pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) can lead to lifelong challenges restricting social participation, which is an important goal for rehabilitation due to associations with improved wellbeing. This evaluation considered the utility of the Child Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) in ABI rehabilitation services. The 20-item measure is rated on a Likert scale with reference to what the rater would expect of their child at that age, including ”not applicable” (N/A). It showed high internal consistency (α = 0.954–0.968). Two-step cluster analysis indicated greater difficulties in children with lower participation, including more impairments of executive function and higher staff involvement. Between-group analysis indicated higher rates of N/A answers for younger children and those of ethnic minorities. Overall, the CASP is reliable and clinically useful on an individual level, helping identify people who may need prioritizing for neurorehabilitation; however, group-level analyses were more challenging due to high frequency of N/A responses.