Connie Johnson PT, DScPT

connie johnson listingDr. Johnson is a physical therapist with Fairfax County Public Schools. She has authored several articles on fitness with youth for disabilities, case reports, and use of the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice in Pediatrics. She is an active member of the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, participating in Practice Committee as well as Director for Region V. She has been developing Fit4Work programming for youth with disabilities since 2012.

 

She can be found on twitter @ConnieCJohnson and the Fit4Work website.

Evidence Based Practice Teens with Cerebral Palsy Benefit from Treadmill Gait Training – A Case Story March 18, 2019 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A teenage girl with cerebral palsy stands on a treadmill in a gym.
As a pediatric physical therapist working in public schools, I want my students to move, and to move in the same way their peers do. When Rifton came out with the treadmill gait trainer, I was eager to explore increasing exercise intensity for my teenagers with mobility impairments. I was fortunate enough to get funding for one in my school. I went to the literature to look for protocols using gait treadmills for youth with disabilities and did not find much.
PT/OT Using Adaptive Equipment to Foster Participation in Vocational Settings August 04, 2017 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A woman with disabilities stands in a red Pacer gait trainer to access her vocational work in a sheltered workshop.
Physical therapists have long advocated for the use of standers and gait trainers to support the mobility, accessibility and health needs of youth and adults with mobility impairments including education of families/school teams and use of equipment in activity programs. Use of gait trainers, standers and other mobility devices allow individuals mobility they would not be able to achieve due to...
PT/OT SMART Goal Writing Using Adapted Equipment to Enhance Participation in Activities January 29, 2013 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
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Goal writing is central for measuring outcomes, documenting the mobility performance of a child, and securing insurance funding and reimbursement. Good goal writing supports physical therapists’ practice by objectively quantifying functional performance and achievement. With the inception of the ICF model1, therapists can focus their interventions on activities and participation in functional...
PT/OT Exploring the Use of an iPad to Enhance Productivity November 20, 2012 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
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The iPad is a tool that has revolutionized how we access and use media in our lives. As a physical therapist, I have been using one for work for the last several years and have found it enormously helpful. Of course, there is a learning curve for anything and it was a little daunting to figure out how to make the iPad meet my needs. When I first got my iPad I sat down with a friend who got me started; now...
PT/OT Patient Transfer and Lifting Guidelines Implications for Pediatric Physical Therapists August 30, 2011 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A therapist uses a Tram as a patient transfer technique to safely transfer a young man from sit to stand.
Techniques for lifting and transferring patients are among the most basic skills physical therapists learn. Many of us were taught that by use of appropriate body mechanics we could transfer patients safely and effectively without risk of injury to us or the patient.1 In reality, however, even physical therapists who are well trained in the biomechanics of lifting experience occupational injury2-5 or at...