The prediction of long-term functional outcomes of children with cerebral palsy.

Current information was obtained from 117 respondents, including 71 who completed interviews, of a population of 810 individuals who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy between 1951 and 1974. Original chart reviews constituted the basis for predicting employment capabilities of the interviewed cohort. A comparison of predictions with actual functional outcomes demonstrated a tendency to pessimistic underestimation of long-term functional outcome, sounding a note of caution to paediatric developmentalists.