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Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Core Sets for children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP) offer service providers and stakeholders a specific framework to explore functioning and disability for assessment, treatment, evaluation, and policy purposes in a global context. Objective: Describe global initiatives applying the ICF Core Sets for children and youth with CP, with a focus on contributions to clinical practice and challenges in their implementation. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Ongoing initiatives applying the ICF Core Sets for CP in Russia, Poland, Malawi, and Brazil are included. Results: The main contributions of applying the ICF Core Sets for children and youth with CP include: (1) an objective description of abilities and limitations in everyday activities; (2) a consistent identification of facilitators and barriers influencing functioning; (3) a practical communication tool promoting client-centered care and multidisciplinary teamwork; and, (4) a useful guideline for measurement selection. The main challenges of adopting the ICF Core Sets are related to lack of ICF knowledge requiring intense training and translating results from standardized measures into the ICF qualifiers in a consistent way. Conclusions: Global initiatives include research and clinical applications at the program, service and system levels. The ICF Core Sets for CP are useful tools to guide service provision and build profiles of functioning and disability. Global interprofessional collaboration, capacity training, and informatics (e-records) will maximize their applications and accelerate adoption.

Aims: In the context of the development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), we investigated the strengths and limitations in functioning important to children with CP, through either child self‐reports or caregiver proxy reports, using components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF‐CY).Method: We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 10 children with CP (children self‐reporting), 10 caregivers of children self‐reporting (10 child–caregiver dyads), and 12 caregivers of children not self‐reporting. Mean age 10y 6mo, range 4–16y. A convenience sample was recruited representing Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to V. Interviews were audio‐taped and the content covered all of the relevant ICF‐CY components. The interviews were then transcribed verbatim and coded in N‐Vivo 10 using the ICF‐CY coding system.Results: We identified 1956 themes that linked to 175 ICF‐CY categories. Most of the themes were represented by the ICF‐CY components activities and participation and environmental factors. The children interviewed discussed issues related to mobility, self‐care, and recreation and leisure, whereas the caregivers focused more on physical limitations and on the environmental factors associated with everyday activities.Interpretation: The children and their caregivers described many of the same areas of functioning but provided unique perspectives. Children talked more frequently about their abilities with CP, whereas the caregivers interviewed talked more about their concern over the limitations and broader issues facing their child. The findings highlight the need to explore the perspectives of both the child and the caregiver when characterizing the functional profile of children with CP.