Parents seek sustained intense "hands-on" therapy for their children based on a belief that "more is better." Since the core objective of evidence-based practice (EBP) is to do the right things, for the right child, at the right time, and to optimize intervention outcomes, it is vital to know what the literature says about how much therapy to…

The aim is to describe the development of hand function in young adults with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP), who participated in a 2-week Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) camp 6 years earlier. Eleven participants, 16-21 years at follow-up, were assessed at three occasions during 2005 and once in 2011. At the 6-year follow-up, performance…

To increase the rigor of pediatric rehabilitation research, there is a need to evaluate the degree to which an intervention is conducted as planned (i.e., fidelity). Generic fidelity measures evaluate more than one intervention and often include nonspecific attributes of the therapy process common to both interventions. The objective of this study…

This article describes the gross motor assessment team (GMAT) members' roles and collaborative approach to making appropriate decisions and modifications when addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities in physical education. Case studies of students are used to demonstrate effective uses of the GMAT. The primary outcome of the GMAT's…

Group intervention in pediatric physical and occupational therapy is an alternative to individual intervention allowing the therapist to meet the needs of multiple children at one time. Survey research indicates that approximately 40% to 60% of pediatric physical and occupational therapists use group intervention at least occasionally in practice,…

This article focuses on one early intervention team's transition from a multidisciplinary center-based model to a transdisciplinary, natural environment service delivery model. The team consisted of an occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech and language pathologist, and early intervention teacher. Each team member began with different…

Stories abound in literature of the ways that people and their pets have fostered and created valuable relationships. More recently, research has shown a strong impact from the pet relationship in health-related settings. Positive changes have been seen in people developing resilience, self-reliance, and in making progress in treatment. Children…

Since the 1990s the number of children with disabilities placed within the general education classroom has steadily increased. Many of these children are provided special education services under the generic disability title "intellectual disability." Over the past decade, there has been a significant amount of research concerning rare…

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) reported 348,604 children received services in the United States under Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2009, representing 2.7% of the population (NECTAC, 2012). Early Intervention (EI), or Part C, is designed to provide services to families of…

This report describes a 63-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease showing loss of intelligibility of speech and severely impaired handwriting, despite undergoing physical and speech therapies. As the patient had sufficient residual motor abilities and adequate cognitive function and motivation, a computer-based communication aid with a software…

The aims of this study were to describe physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) services for a cohort of 399 children with cerebral palsy (CP), 2-6 years old, residing in the United States and Canada. Parents completed a services questionnaire by telephone interview. Therapists classified children's Gross Motor Function Classification…

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a growing movement in the health and educational disciplines that recommends emphasis on research outcomes during decision making in practice. EBP is made possible through evidence based research (EBR), which attempts to synthesize the volume and scientific rigor of intervention effectiveness. With the purpose of…

As defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, occupational and physical therapists provide services to support students to access, participate, and progress in their educational program within the least restrictive educational environment. Educationally relevant occupational and physical therapy services in school…

While there is a considerable body of knowledge investigating the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), there is a need for information focusing on parents' experiences when their children receive these services. This qualitative research study initially explored the experiences of four parents with children who are diagnosed…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate perceptions of quality of life after a 4-month progressive resistance training program for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). A second purpose was to examine participants' views about factors that facilitated or impeded exercise behavior. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight females…