Characteristics of study participants by group
| Intervention (n=24) | Control (n=22) | |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 11.8 (3.2) | 11.4 (3.3) |
| Sex, n (%) | ||
| Female | 11 (45.8) | 10 (45.5) |
| Male | 13 (54.2) | 12 (54.5) |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | ||
| Cerebral palsy (CP) | 17 (70.8) | 15 (68.2) |
| Autism spectrum disorder | 1 (4.2) | 4 (18.2) |
| Intellectual disability | 1 (4.2) | 1 (4.5) |
| Down syndrome | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.5) |
| Other | 5 (20.8) | 1 (4.5) |
| CP classification, n (% children with CP) | ||
| Hemiplegia | 9 (52.9) | 6 (40.0) |
| Diplegia | 7 (41.2) | 7 (46.7) |
| Quadriplegia | 0 (0.0) | 1 (6.7) |
| Ataxia | 1 (5.9) | 1 (6.7) |
| Functional Mobility Scale at 50 m, n (%) | ||
| 1 | 2 (8.3) | 3 (13.6) |
| 2 | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.5) |
| 3 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| 4 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| 5 | 8 (33.3) | 6 (27.3) |
| 6 | 14 (58.3) | 12 (54.5) |
| GMFCS, n (% children with CP) | ||
| I | 9 (52.9) | 8 (53.3) |
| II | 7 (29.2) | 4 (26.7) |
| III | 1 (5.9) | 2 (13.3) |
| IV | 0 (0.0) | 1 (6.7) |
| V | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| BoNTA during 8-week intervention, n (% children with CP) | ||
| Received BoNTA | 3 (17.6) | 1 (7.1) |
| Did not receive BoNTA | 14 (82.4) | 13 (92.9) |
Note: Functional Mobility Scale (FMS)31 is a tool for the classification of functional mobility in children, with a rating of 6 representing the most independently mobile, and a rating of 1 for children who are the least independently mobile and rely on wheeled mobility. FMS rates mobility at three distances: 5 m, 50 m and 500 m; for the purposes of this study we chose to use the FMS to rate the participants’ mobility over a distance of 50 m only. GMFCS: Gross Motor Functional Classification Scale-Expanded and Revised,38 is a functional mobility classification tool suitable for children with cerebral palsy. In the GMFCS ‘Level I’ represents the most independently mobile through to ‘Level V’ which represents the least mobile. BoNTA: Botulinum neurotoxin type A injections.