Physical Therapist Assistant

25 Q&A Sites About Physical Therapy for Children

August 8, 2011 | Children, Physcial Therapy

If you are a parent, a physical therapy student or a practicing physical therapist who has questions about physical therapy for children, you might seek question-and-answer articles about specific issues to learn more. This list of 25 Q&A sites about physical therapy for children includes specifics for a broad range of physical disorders, birth defects and conditions. But, there are several categories that receive more attention, such as autism, bone and joint conditions, cerebral palsy and down syndrome.

General Questions

1. Ask a Therapist (Other Concerns): This Q&A material provides a few questions and answers about problems relating to speech and language early intervention and therapy for children. Other links include child development and parenting tips.
2. CdLS and Physical Therapy [PDF]: The Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation, Inc. reaches out with this document about CdLS. CdLS causes a range of physical, cognitive and medical challenges and affects both genders equally.
3. How to Do Chest Physical Therapy (CPT) [PDF]: The Emily Center provides a document for explanation about CPT and how to use it to help children. CPT also is called Percussion and Postural Drainage (P & PD).
4. Physical abuse in children: From another angle, Children’s Hospital in Boston explains physical abuse in children in detail, and offers advice on what to do if you suspect this problem. Awareness of this issue can help prevent the need for physical therapy to recover from abuse.
5. Physical Therapy Basics: KidsHealth offers a simple overview about physical therapy for kids that is easy to understand. They include links to several disabilities that might cause a parent to seek physical therapy for their child or children.
6. Questions & Answers about Occupational Therapy: Cumberland County Schools in Fayetteville, North Carolina, provides this Q&A about occupation therapy for children. While this document is specific to this school, the questions and answers can apply to any parent who might want to know about these programs within any public school system.
7. The Role of Occupational Therapy: Working with Children and Youth: Occupational therapy practitioners work with children, youth, and their families to promote active participation in activities or occupations that are meaningful to them. Learn more about this profession through this article.
8. Toys for Child Development FAQ: eBeanstalk has a team of experts and physical therapists, child psychologists, speech pathologists and 300 moms on their mother board that play with and rate each and every toy on their site. From this pool of knowledge, they provide answers to parents’ questions about developmental toys.
9. Vision Therapy FAQS: This is an interview with Dr. Leonard J. Press, FCOVD, FAAO, author of the textbook, Applied Concepts in Vision Therapy. Dr. Press examines current questions and opinions concerning vision therapy and refers the reader to relevant medical literature and Web pages. He also discusses the many applications of vision therapy to a wide range of visual and learning difficulties.

Autism

10. Autism Q&A: The Boston Globe provides a question-and-answer session on this disorder, including a focus on some of the hard questions such as long-term prognosis, loss of career and physical therapy.
11. Autism Therapy: Diet and Health offers a perspective on austism therapy with their answers to questions about this disorder. Use the links within the article to gain further knowledge about therapy for this condition.
12. Easter Seals Autism Q&A [PDF]: Parents are often frustrated and looking for answers about potential problems they’re experiencing with their child or other family member when they get to Easter Seals. This document helps to answer questions about autism before you tap into the Easter Seals’ resources.

Bone and Joint

13. Facts About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): A diagnosis of type 2 SMA allows parents and children to plan for a future, even if life span may be shorter than normal. This type of SMA begins in childhood but generally after infancy. Children with type 2 SMA benefit greatly from physical therapy and assistive technology of all kinds.
14. Q&A with Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s Bone & Joint Institute: A local living magazine out of Pennsylvania offers answers to questions about physical therapy for people of all ages, including children. Therapists at St. Luke’s Bone & Joint Institute commonly see people with neck and low back pain, but they are able to treat a wide variety of diagnoses.
15. Questions and Answers about Juvenile Arthritis: Both juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) are classification systems for chronic arthritis in children. The JRA classification system was developed about 30 years ago and had three different subtypes. Learn more about this physical problem from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
16. Questions and Answers about Scoliosis in Children and Adolescents: This online booklet defines scoliosis and provides information about how it is diagnosed and treated in children and adolescents. You may be interested in contacting one or more of the organizations listed at the end of the booklet for more information.
17. Spina Bifida [PDF]: Spina bifida is a spinal column defect that results from the failure of the spine to close properly in the first weeks of pregnancy. It is the single most common disability and birth defect and it occurs in one out of every 1,000 births.
18. Spina Bifida – Physical Activity Guidelines: This article, from the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), provides information about the importance of exercise for children who suffer from this condition.

Cerebral Palsy

19. Caring for a Child with Cerebral Palsy: This article offers extensive advice for families and caregivers about this physical condition.



20. Cerebral Palsy Physical Therapy: Birth Trauma Law Firms offers a basic explanation about physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy. They then offer numerous links to stories about this physical disorder. This resource could help a parent who has encountered this diagnosis for the first time.
21. Frequently Asked Cerebral Palsy Questions and Answers: This Q&A site, Ask the Doctor, is about all type of cerebral palsy, and is sponsored by Lawyers Inc., P.C., Sheldon O. Zisook, Attorney. Types of cerebral palsy include spastic cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy and mixed cerebral palsy.

Down Syndrome

22. Down Syndrome Q & A: The National Down Syndrome Society provides answers to questions about Down Syndrome, the most common genetic condition. One in every 691 babies is born with Down syndrome. The most common form of Down syndrome is called Trisomy 21, because it involves an extra copy of the 21st chromosome.
23. Down Syndrome Treatments and Drugs: The Mayo Clinic answers questions about early intervention programs, medical care, physical therapy and drug treatment programs.
24. Occupational Therapy Q&A with Judy Linda: This public Facebook page focuses specifically on Down Syndrome. Judy Linda, therapist, who answers some difficult questions.
25. The Goal and Opportunity of Physical Therapy for Children with Down Syndrome [PDF]: This article was reprinted with permission from Down Syndrome Quarterly, 6(2): 1-5, 2001, and speaks specifically to treatment with Down Syndrome children.

Tags: autism therapy, child occupation theray, down syndrome therapy, juvenile arthritis, physical therapy children