Developmental disabilites

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 Encouraging Participation-Based Goals in the School Setting January 21, 2019 by Lori Potts, PT
A young female talks to a young boy sitting in a Rifton HTS.
Physical therapy goals in the school-based practice setting can focus on a variety of areas, including: participation (student’s involvement in a life situation), activity (student’s execution of a task or action) and impairment (i.e. at the level of body structure and function.) For a number of reasons we find that student goals that address participation within the context of school routines...
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: New Research Suggests Increasing Pediatric Intervention Frequency January 02, 2019 by Elena Noble, MPT
A caregiver steers a child in a blue Rifton Adaptive Tricycle.
Existing evidence on pediatric therapy dosing is scanty and conflicting, though motor learning theory has long associated increased frequency and repetition of movement and skills with improved outcomes. A new study now appears to bolster this view in the context of school-based intervention. The study comes out of Norway, where almost all children with cerebral palsy are registered in CP-specific follow...
News The Meadowood Program: A MOVE Model Site November 12, 2018 by Lori Potts, PT
A girl in a pink dress smiles at her caregiver, while walking in her Rifton Pacer gait trainer.
You’ve heard us talk about MOVE for years, and there’s no question we’re unabashed boosters for this wonderful program. We first ran into Linda Bidabe, MOVE’s founder, in 1988 when her program was in its infancy and we’ve loved it ever since. If you’re not convinced, or if you just want to understand it better, set aside 20 minutes today, pour a cup of coffee, and watch...
Stories A MOVE® Program Snapshot October 15, 2018 by Sherri Glazer
A young boy stands at a Rifton Support Station with the aid of a caregiver.
Reuven is 16 and attends The Children’s Learning Center at the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County where he participates in the MOVE® Program. Reuven is non-ambulatory and non-verbal. He sits primarily in an adapted wheelchair equipped with a seatbelt, chest harness, foot straps, and a lap tray. While in school, as part of the MOVE® Program, Reuven practices sitting in a typical...
PT/OT Using Thigh Straps in Sling Configuration for Toileting or Seat-to-Seat Transfers October 08, 2018 by Barbara Stacy, PT, MOMT
A client sitting in wheelchair, while a caregiver adjusts the straps of a Rifton TRAM to prepare for a transfer.
At Desert Mountain SELPA in Apple Valley, California, we’ve discovered a creative solution for seated transfers with the TRAM. This method works really well, particularly for the more profoundly involved kids. Using the standard approach shown in the TRAM Quick Reference Guide (with a thigh strap placed separately under each leg) often results in the body support system riding up the student’s...
PT/OT Homing in on Segmental Trunk Support for Better Control September 27, 2018 by Jocelyn Newell, PT, DPT, MPT
Sydney
While many in the therapy community have not heard (yet) about SATCo, it’s a valuable new assessment that looks at trunk control. SATCo stands for Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control and it is a specific method of determining the level at which an individual loses postural control. We speak of “segmental assessment” because during evaluation we progressively change the level of trunk support at seven distinct levels.
PT/OT Getting Help for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities September 10, 2018 by Denise Swensen, PT, DPT
A young girl looks is entertained by the ipad her therapist is holding as she walks on a treadmill using a Rifton Pacer.
According to the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study, only 4% of infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services have assistive technology and AT services listed on their Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP.) ¹ No, that was not a typo. Only 4%. Think about what that means for the three-and-under children with disabilities you know. The Individuals with Disabilities Education...
PT/OT It’s Called an Activity Chair for a Reason August 27, 2018 by Lori Potts, PT
A young girl smiles at the camera in a portrait of her in the Rifton Activity Chair.
Recently, Rifton hosted a 2-part webinar on adaptive seating. Part 1: Sitting for Participation: What Does the Research Say? This 30-minute webinar provides an overview of available research on adaptive seating as an intervention in pediatric practice. I summarize research evidence on adaptive seating outcomes including impact on postural control, the use of upper extremities while seated, and head...
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...
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