Use of the Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale to describe functional limitations in patients with vestibular disorders1

The Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL) is one of several self-rated scales in the literature that may be useful for determining level of functional limitation or disability in people with vestibular disorders. The VADL was designed by an occupational therapist for use in treatment planning during vestibular rehabilitation. Unlike many other scales the VADL is specifically focused on essential functional skills and important mobility and instrumental skills. This paper reviews the findings about the VADL, including the original research about its development and more recent papers using it. The scale is most useful for assessing the patient’s perception about independence in personal, self care and basic mobility skills. It provides an outline for discussing instrumental activities of daily living.