Physiotherapy Treatment for Cerebral Palsy:
- Neurodevelopment Therapy (NDT) / Bobath: is our traditional approach to therapy which is play-based therapy and often child-led, where our therapists assist in facilitating movement and play considering body alignment and the integration of postural control and stability.
- Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI): is a newly added approach to therapy which is harnesses the power of neuroplasticity to make rapid and long lasting changes in a child’s brain so they can learn new skills and reach their developmental milestones. DMI progresses support provided to the child from a proximal to distal (support given lower on the body) with the child’s hands free. Each time we give the child less support, the child has to activate with more postural control and work harder towards strength and independence. This approach to therapy is appropriate for any level of development from infancy to children who are developing skills in balance, stepping and higher level gross motor skills. For the higher level exercises a series of wooden boxes and beams are used to step in and out of walk and walk across to challenge the child’s strength and balance.
- Gym Sessions: can be arranged at a convenient location to facilitate an ongoing independent program in the community. This is usually most relevant for the older adolescents.
- Education and involvement of the wider community: we provide therapy in ANY relevant location including but not limited to homes, kindergyms, kindergartens, child care centres, schools. In doing so, we can observe the child in their natural environment and problem solve any issues around access, movement and participation relevant to your child specific needs. In these situations we collaborate and provide information to your child’s teacher and wider family and community so that advice and suggestions can be more broadly applied for better and quicker outcomes.
- Advocacy and Joint Sessions: navigating complex physical and or medical needs can be confusing and or challenging when multiple parties and opinions are involved. At MOVEability we are available to attend relevant appointments with you to advocate for your needs and or to collaborate with third parties. Examples of this role may include attending appointments with you at WCH to plan and prepare for surgery where we can provide high level detail on your child’s abilities to assist in the decision making process. Another common example is we can attend joint therapy sessions with say an occupational therapist (OT) so that physiotherapy advice and suggestions can be incorporated into your OT sessions and vice versa for optimal outcomes.
