Physical Therapy published research examining postural control during a functional play activity. Previous research has indicated that when motor tasks are made more relevant through functional tasks, performance improves, including in children with movement pathology. The participants in the study included 30 children with cerebral palsy who were compared with 30 typically developing children during […]
Recent research from Clinical Biomechanics completed a review from the motion analysis laboratory results from 27 children with bilateral cerebral palsy to evaluate the shoulder and pelvic girdle in the three planes of motion. The control group was data from 10 typically developing children. The results indicated the following: the children with bilateral cerebral palsy walked […]
Child: Care, Health and Development has published an excellent article (which is free to download until 12/31/15) entitled The ‘F-words’ in Childhood Disability: I swear this is how we should think! The authors, Dr. Peter Rosenbaum and Dr. Jan Willem Gorter, discuss how we need to change our focus with regards to childhood disabilities. We need to move […]
Here is a collection of informative blog posts to get some recommendations on purchasing shoes for children including shoes that fit over orthotics: Shoe Recommendations for Children: start here with this informative post of typical development of children’s feet. There are some There are some general recommendations based on age and recommendations based on the […]
Here are 10 tips to help teach children to be independent with self help skills and everyday routines: 1. Make sure you have time to give the child your undivided attention when you are first teaching a new skill or routine. Likewise, make sure that the child is paying attention when learning the skill. Minimize […]
Research in Developmental Disabilities published research on secondary and post-secondary student with congenital motor disabilities. By examining a task of throwing a ball at a target, data was collected on self-regulatory aspects (i.e., goal-setting, self-efficacy and self-evaluation). Participants were divided into four subgroups: 1.) normal cognitive development and mild physical disabilities 2.)normal cognitive development and […]
At times, all children need some help to achieve big goals. Whether it be a lofty IEP goal that you inherited, a large project the student needs to complete or a complex motor skill often times it is easier to break it up into smaller, more manageable chunks. Teachers call it scaffolding and therapists […]
Do you have any students who need just a little extra reminder of where the chair ends? Maybe an external cue of where to put their hips? Grab a pool noodle. Measure it to fit the seat of the chair and cut off the excess. Use some duct tape and strap it to the chair. […]
CanChild has published another excellent resource which is entitled Keeping Current In Sleep Issues Among Children with Cerebral Palsy. Here are some highlights: Studies show that rates of sleep disturbances in children with cerebral palsy are actually quite similar to the general population and affect about one third of children. Certain aspects of CP are […]
Pediatric Physical Therapy published a single case study comparing physiological functioning, communication switch activation, and response accuracy in a 19-year-old young man with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and neurological scoliosis using 2 seating systems within the school setting. A alternating treatment design was used recording data from the following conditions: baseline (standard planar inserts), using a […]