Focus on Treatment

I recently spent 2 days in a workshop that was presented by Kristen Birkmeier, MSPT of Pediatric Therapy Training.  The training was sponsored by the facility that I work for and the hospital here in town.  The Pediatric Therapy Training website describes Kristin as "a renowned and highly respected pediatric clinician and educator who teaches national workshops focused on assessment and treatment of the infant and child with neuromotor dysfunction."   She truly is that and more!  I found her to be extremely knowledgable and I gained a lot of information regarding the treatment aspect of working with those with neuromotor dysfunction.  You can learn more about Kristin and Pediatric Therapy Training at Kristen's website here: http://pediatrictherapytraining.com/

There is a ton of information that I could share here, but the information is so extensive that it would be hard to do that.  So, I will share one very important thing that was the basic premise of the whole training session:

Treating the "Initial Triad":  which is head control, over an actively stable, well aligned shoulder girdle (this is the basis for head control), with the ability to take weight and shift weight over the upper extremities.

Maintaining range and mobility throughout the shoulder girdle and trunk, and addressing underlying weakness in these areas, is the basis for developing head control and UE function, as well as the refinement necessary for vision and oral motor control.  It also lends itself to achieving trunk control, balance, stability, distal control, which helps to improve fine motor skills, etc.  You get the picture...
Essentially, what is says to a therapist is that by focusing treatment on the "initial triad," all of the other things that you are hoping to achieve will start to fall into place.  What this says to a parent is that if your child does not have adequate mobility and strength throughout the shoulders and trunk, it will be difficult for your child to have adequate head and trunk control and to develop further refined skills.

As a parent, how can you work on this at home?

-Keep your child flexible and mobile.  Make sure that you maintain their joint ranges by stretching exercises.  Forward trunk flexion, trunk rotation to each side, and lateral rotation to each side.  If your child has cerebral palsy, ask their PT or OT to help you with learning how to passively range and have them guide you with a home program.
-Have your child weight bear through his/her forearms and extended arms.  If you have an infant or a child who is at that developmental level, spend time playing on their tummy.
-If your child is mobile:  climb.  Play on playground equipment.  Make an obstacle course that your child has to maneuver through and climb through and around, pull themselves up on.
-Engage in play and activities that can strengthen their "core" (trunk).
-See my previous posts, "Secrets to Good Handwriting" from 5/28/13 and "Postural Control and Shoulder Stability" from 6/3/13 for more information and specific activities.