Functional Ambulation Categories
What It Measures
The Functional Ambulation Categories rates walking by one question: how much help does this person need from another human being? Assistive devices are set aside entirely. Someone using a walker independently and someone walking unaided both score the same, because the category is about human support, not equipment.
Six levels run from 0 to 5. A score of 0 means the person cannot walk functionally. Levels 1 through 3 describe a dependent walker needing continuous manual support, intermittent light touch, or verbal supervision without contact. Levels 4 and 5 describe an independent walker — level 4 on flat ground only, level 5 anywhere, including stairs, slopes, and uneven surfaces. The rating comes from brief questioning and observation.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: The category descriptions are reproduced without restriction across clinical resources and trial protocols.
Learn More: Two limitations worth knowing. The FAC does not measure endurance — the person only walks about 10 feet — so it should sit alongside a distance or speed measure such as the 10-Meter Walk Test or 6-Minute Walk Test. And because it ignores assistive devices, two people at level 5 can have very different mobility.
