Validity and Reliability of the Modified Four Square Step Test (mFSST)

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a non-progressive neurodevelopmental disorder that causes activity limitation resulting from movement and posture deficiencies as a result of a lesion in the immature brain. Children with CP usually have difficulties in mobility, transfer and social participation due to many motor and sensory disorders such as muscle weakness, decreased postural control, balance, spasticity.Hypertonus and abnormal motor patterns, lack of trunk control and postural disorders adversely affect the physical development of these children. Children with CP show various posture disorders due to proximal muscle strength losses leading to limitations and deficiencies in postural reactions. This leads to losses in reactive and antisipatory postural adjustments, and limits upper extremity functions such as walking, reaching, and eating. For this reason, children with CP have difficulties in maintaining balance while standing or sitting independently, walking, maintaining postural control in various environments such as walking, hills/uneven floors, performing activities of daily living (ADL) and social participation.