Disability planning

PT/OT Part 3: The Application of GAS to the IEP Process August 31, 2020 by Sue Cecere, PT, MHS
A boy sitting in the Rifton HTS with a caretaker by his side
Best practice in educational goal writing is for a goal to be discipline-free and reflective of meaningful outcomes, not only for the current IEP cycle but looking forward. Given the one variable requirement of GAS, how does this process work when developing team-oriented goals?
PT/OT Part 2: What Is Goal Attainment Scaling? August 12, 2020 by Sue Cecere, PT, MHS
A girl sitting on a Rifton Adaptive Tricycle with a caretaker holding the front guide bar
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is a client-centric, criterion referenced measure of progress, responsive to minimally significant changes in a specific outcome, whether it be an individual goal or a functional goal.
PT/OT Part 1: Why Goal Attainment Scaling? July 21, 2020 by Sue Cecere, PT, MHS
A boy sitting on a Rifton Compass Chair and looking at a book
In March 2017, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. Endrew F. was a student with autism who for years had made only minimal educational gains under the IEP developed by his school, causing his parents to transfer him to a private school.
PT/OT Postural Management July 07, 2020 by Richard Harvey
a girl standing in a Rifton Mobile Stander, smiling and holding her hands in the air, with a caretaker
Postural management during waking and sleeping hours is paramount to health and well-being as well as a child’s future functional ability. Learn more from an expert in the UK.
News The Highest Risk Population: Homes for the Disabled April 16, 2020 by Ray Mommsen, Rifton Marketing
a young man using a Rifton E-Pacer with the assistance of a caretaker
Lately, during this time of upheaval and isolation, we at Rifton find our thoughts turning often to the people we serve: those sheltering at home with their families and those in group homes and care facilities. In New York now, people in homes for the developmentally disabled are at the highest risk from COVID-19 – even higher than residents of nursing homes.
Evidence Based Practice Prospective cohort studies can inform pediatric physical therapy practice February 04, 2019 by Lori Potts, PT
A young girl with braids and a colorful t-shirt smiles at her caregiver.
The field of pediatric physical therapy has long recognized the difficulty of conducting high level research with the cerebral palsy population. Meeting the qualifications of a randomized controlled trial while implementing interventions with children with multiple physical disabilities – with all their varied daily realities – is extraordinarily difficult. In turn, the systematic review that...
PT/OT Our Body, Gravity, and the New Discipline of Posture Care Management August 20, 2018 by Tamara Kittelson Aldred
A caregiver reading a picture book to a young boy sitting in a Rifton Activity Chair.
Twenty-four-hour posture care management is quite new in North America, but its roots go back to the 1980s with foundational work occurring even earlier. Children and adults with dysfunctions of muscle tone, reflexes, muscle weakness and joint contracture have impaired movement and develop adverse postures as a direct consequence of their positioning relative to gravity. These can result in complications...
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...
Tips & Advice Lifespan Care for People with Disabilities May 23, 2017 by Elena Noble, MPT
resources adults developmental disabilities
Providing activity and mobility interventions for young adults with disabilities after they leave the school system is important, particularly for maintaining quality of life. Unfortunately this outlook is not shared by everyone. A physical therapist working with young adults with developmental disabilities wrote this to me after her efforts to get adaptive equipment for her clients had been...
News Advocacy as Art April 07, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A man with developmental disabilities gets assistance from his therapist while using adaptive equipment acquired through the Medicaid waiver program.
If you look up ‘Medicaid Waiver’ on the internet, you’ll find the four primary types available to states across the nation. You’ll also find myriad links and sites available to aid the application process, and the collateral industry that has emerged to facilitate these programs. If you’re like me, you’ll soon be lost. For parents of adult children with developmental...
Load More