*4.5. Limitations*

The translation of the scores of different grading scales into the ICF qualifiers posed several challenges. It is important to note that there is no gold standard that we could follow, currently, there are no rules guiding how to translate clinical information into ICF qualifiers in pediatric populations. Other studies applying the ICF in pediatric populations have used clinical judgement [10,22]. Our process required adjustments and modifications until the final guidelines for assigning the qualifiers were proposed. The lack of standardized tools to evaluate some of the categories, mostly those related to environmental factors, may be an additional limitation.

Finally, the selection of categories from the comprehensive ASD Core Set may have left out specific aspects that would be important in the evaluation of some children with ASD. Further revisions and larger studies across the country are needed.

### **5. Conclusions**

In conclusion, implementation of TEA-CIFunciona version 1.0 is feasible and standardizes the assessment of children with ASD in our country. The toolbox operationalizes the content of TEA-CIFunciona and facilitates building a profile of functioning of children with ASD. This study may encourage colleagues to adopt TEA-CIFunciona, systematize the evaluations of patients with ASD using a biopsychosocial approach, benefitting both the children and their families. Although these findings describe a specific population, they may shed light on issues that are common to other children with ASD, regardless of where they live [23].
