Background: To investigate the safety and feasibility of six sessions of Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) integrated into an inpatient therapy concept and their influence on walking speed and gait parameters in adult CP patients. Methods: Eleven subjects (male = 8, female = 3, mean age: 23 years and 2 months, ± 4.5…

Approximately 85% of children with autism spectrum disorder from the SPARK study receiving standard interventions such as speech-language and occupational therapies. In contrast, only 32%-13% of children with autism spectrum disorder received movement therapies such as physical and recreational therapies, respectively. Little is known about how…

This meta-analytic review investigated interventions for transition-age youth diagnosed with autism, intellectual disability, or extensive support needs. Nineteen group design studies with 215 effect sizes met inclusion criteria. A robust variance estimation procedure that accounts for the clustering effect sizes within studies was used to…

Purpose: This study tested whether the Sitting Together and Reaching to Play (START-Play) physical therapy intervention indirectly impacts cognition through changes in perceptual-motor skills in infants with motor delays. Methods: Participants were 50 infants with motor delays randomly assigned to START-Play plus Usual Care Early Intervention…

Aims: This study evaluated whether caregiver-provided learning opportunities moderated the effect of START-Play physical therapy intervention on the cognitive skills of young children with neuromotor delays, and whether START-Play impacted caregiver-provided learning opportunities over time. Methods: One hundred and twelve children with neuromotor…

Therapies for children with cerebral palsy (CP) often fail to address essential components of early rehabilitation: intensity, child initiation, and an embodied approach. Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) addresses these issues while incorporating intensive family involvement to maximize therapeutic dosage. While START-Play was…

Students with Down syndrome (DS) receive school-based physical therapy (SBPT), however little data exists regarding services and outcomes. Using a prospective observational cohort study our aim was to explore SBPT activities and interventions, and students' goal achievement of 46 students with DS, tracked by 17 physical therapists (PTs). PTs…

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to quantify the relationship between early motor skills, such as sitting, and the development of problem-solving skills in children with motor delays. Methods: Motor (Gross Motor Function Measure) and problem-solving (Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play) skills of 134 children 7-16 months adjusted age…

Background: There is limited research examining the efficacy of early physical therapy on infants with neuromotor dysfunction. In addition, most early motor interventions have not been directly linked to learning, despite the clear association between motor activity and cognition during infancy. Objective: The aim of this project is to evaluate…

Background: Psychomotor therapy enables people to reflect on the relationship between experiences and feelings by starting from awareness of bodily responses rather than from awareness of emotion. In this study we examine PsyMot (ID), an assessment that directs this psychological therapy. Method: Twelve suitable consecutive admissions were…

In order to identify optimal rehabilitation strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) participants, assessment of impaired walking is required to detect, monitor and quantify movement disorders. In the proposed assessment, ten healthy and seven SCI participants were recruited to perform an over-ground walking test at slow walking speeds. SCI…

This study used a repeated measures design to assess the effect of an eight-week repetitive passive movement (RPM) intervention on lower extremity muscle tone and function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Eighteen children (aged 9.5 [plus or minus] 2.1 years) with spastic CP were randomly assigned to a knee RPM intervention condition of 3…

This article presents the elements of the Oral Motor Intervention section of the Infant Care Path for Physical Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The types of physical therapy interventions presented in this path are evidence based as well as infant driven and family focused. In the context of anticipated maturation of…

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…

Physical therapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP) is focused on reducing neurological impairments, improving strength, and preventing the development of secondary impairments in order to improve functional outcomes. However, relationship between motor impairments and functional outcome has not been proved definitely. This study…