Cerebral Palsy is an injury to a child’s Central Nervous System (CNS) which may occur during
prenatal and postnatal periods and birth, and it is described as an affliction of the child’s movement and posture,
causing disorderly, repetitive, and limited movements, since the child has low control of muscular activity.
Though not a progressive condition, it affects child development, with possible repercussions that include motor,
cognitive and functional delays, such as sitting, walking, speaking and writing. Moreover, cerebral palsy impacts
occupational engagement, such as in activities of daily living (ADL). As such, Occupational Therapy, which has
occupation as its object of study, aims to target functional improvement through rehabilitation so that the child
may be autonomous and independent in her occupations, especially in activities of daily living (ADL). Game
therapy, which is the use of virtual reality in patient therapy, sets itself apart from conventional rehabilitation
methods used in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. As such, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of
Occupational Therapy treatment using game therapy on the occupational performance of activities of daily living
(ADL) of a child with cerebral palsy. It is an experimental study of a quantitative and qualitative type using the
following protocols: Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), aiming to ascertain motor function, and the
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), in order to verify the performance of activities of daily
living (ADL). This will be a study with longitudinal delimitation, based on a case, wherein evaluation will begin
with these instruments, followed by treatment consisting of twenty game therapy sessions and reevaluation
using said approach. This approach will be used to determine if changes occurred in the performance of
activities of daily living (ADL) by children with cerebral palsy. It is hoped that this study may contribute to the
research and assistance in the area of physical rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy, so as to identify
motor and occupational benefits that the use of game therapy may offer. Results: Improvements were made to
the child’s performance of ADLs, and patient scores were shown for both instruments used; COPM showed
advancements in ADL performance for getting dressed, showering, functional mobility and personal grooming
(hygiene), while GMFM showed growth in dimensions A, C, D and E. Conclusion: This study contributed to the
research and assistance in the area of physical rehabilitation for children with cerebrall palsy, identifying the
motor and occupational benefits that the use of game therapy may yield to the children’s functional life,
especially in their daily life activities.
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