Objectives: Kennedy Krieger Institute's Upper Extremity Measurement Scale (UEMS) was designed to quantify motor recovery in children during acute rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI). The UEMS assesses movement patterns, fine motor skills, splint and range of motion tolerance, and caregiver training. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the UEMS. Hypothesis: Adequate reliability and validity were expected. The UEMS is expected to be a sensitive measure that can monitor improvements in upper extremity function over the course of inpatient rehabilitation. Participants: Ninety-seven children, aged 1 to 19 years, with diagnoses of TBI or ABI, who were admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit, were included. Methods: The UEMS was administered at admission and discharge through direct observation of performance. Reliability was explored through internal consistency. Validity was examined by correlation with the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) and factor analysis. Sensitivity to recovery was examined by comparing scores at admission and discharge. Results: Internal consistency was good (0.95). Correlations with WeeFIM were moderate-high, ranging from 0.52 to 0.81; highest correlation was between UEMS total score and WeeFIM total. Scores of all UEMS items and total score improved significantly between admission and discharge. Factor analysis revealed 2 factors at admission (basic and advanced skills); however, analysis revealed 3 factors at discharge (advanced skills, left hemiparesis, and right hemiparesis). Conclusions: Preliminary evaluation of reliability and validity of the UEMS is adequate. While the UEMS is a promising measure to track upper extremity functioning in children with TBI and ABI during inpatient rehabilitation, further evaluation of the psychometric properties is warranted. Specifically, data on interrater reliability are indicated.

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