This 4-year-old boy has Diplegia. His speech is clear, but he runs out of breath. This difficulty is NOT a brain problem, it is caused by trunk weakness. Putting him […]
Alignment, Awareness, Recruitment and Strength
In the older child, teen or adult with established body habits, the first step is to restore alignment. In many, this can be accomplished in a few days of intensive […]
Is This Good Enough? GMFCS Level III to V
Many parents, therapists and physicians would consider this boy’s function a therapeutic success. I do not! For children in GMFCS III to V, the long term studies have documented that […]
Will My Child Walk? Setting Age Appropriate Goals
Goal setting varies with the age and stage of brain and body growth and maturity. It is important to distinguish vision or long-term goals from short-term action goals. The best […]
Body Growth Increases Spasticity
Spasticity in cerebral palsy becomes worse with body growth, BUT if you are prepared, the damage can be lessened. Birth to 4 years – The First Critical Period Between 2 […]
Quick Fixes – Take Your Therapist’s Hands Home with You.
For many children with quadriplegia or marked muscle weakness, one pair of hands is often not enough to help the child move well. A compressive garment is a Quick Fix. […]
Quick Fixes for 2014 – Stabilize the Wrist and Thumb
Happy New Year. I am starting off the year with some tips and tricks to get you the “biggest bang for your buck” in the shortest possible time. It is […]
Take Advantage of the Periods of Peak Neuroplasticity
Children’s brains grow at a higher rate throughout the first 18 to 24 years of life than they do as adults. Within this extended time period, there are two periods […]
Back to Basics – Alignment Comes First
The basic rule “Alignment Comes First”, applies to hands as much as it does to the legs, yet in my experience, very few children with brachial plexus injury (BPI) and/or […]
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Facts About Growth and Recovery
The Good – The first 3 to 4 years are a period of active neuroplasticity in humans. Brain growth is explosive and there are many available neural networks. One of the best examples of early neuroplasticity is the exposure to language. If a child is raised hearing 2 or more languages, they are able to learn them all. In certain areas of Switzerland it is commonplace for children to be fluent […]