Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: Recommendations and Action Items.

Purpose: This special communication identifies evidence-based recommendations and offers action items to facilitate the uptake of new knowledge from the National Study of Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education (NSE-Peds).

Summary Of Key Points: The NSE-Peds identified a conceptual framework consisting of 4 key dimensions and associated elements that dynamically interact to prepare future physical therapists to meet the needs of society. The conceptual framework serves as the Knowledge Creation component of the knowledge to action (KTA) framework, but translation into practice requires the Action Cycle, the second component of the KTA framework.

National Study of Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: Design, Methods, and Results.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to identify and describe the attributes of excellence and innovation in professional pediatric physical therapy education and develop a conceptual framework identifying dimensions of excellence.

Methods: A multimethod case study design based on a grounded theory framework was used. Data collection included review of artifacts and field interviews (individual and focus group).

Physical Therapy Management of Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), affects approximately 5% to 6% of school-aged children. Characteristics of DCD include poor motor coordination and delayed development of motor skills, not explained by other conditions. Motor deficits negatively affect school productivity, performance in activities of daily living, and recreation participation.

Associations of Gross Motor Delay, Behavior, and Quality of Life in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have gross motor delays that may accentuate problem daytime behavior and health-related quality of life (QoL).

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the degree of gross motor delays in young children with ASD and associations of gross motor delays with problem daytime behavior and QoL. The primary hypothesis was that Gross motor delays significantly modifies the associations between internalizing or externalizing problem daytime behavior and QoL.

A Case Report of an Infant With Arthrogryposis.

Purpose: This case report documents limitations of body structures and function, activity, and participation for an infant with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and reports frequency and timing of interventions for this child.

Summary Of Key Points: The infant was followed from 11 days to 9 months of age while receiving occupational therapy and physical therapy on alternating weeks, with orthopedic visits for lower extremity serial casting. Passive range of motion improved and pain scores decreased during passive range of motion.

Essential competencies in entry-level pediatric physical therapy education.

Background: The Section on Pediatrics (SoP) convened an Education Summit in July 2012 to examine, discuss, and respond to documented inconsistencies and challenges in teaching pediatric physical therapy (PT) content in entry-level professional education programs. Despite previous attempts by the SoP to provide guidance around teaching pediatric PT, variability continued to be extensive across programs.

Key Points: This article presents the core competencies developed out of the Summit to inform pediatric content in the entry-level PT curriculum.

Student experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit: addendum to neonatal physical therapy competencies and clinical training models.

Purpose: To describe the appropriate experience for entry-level physical therapist students in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Key Points: Care for infants in the NICU represents a subspecialty within pediatric physical therapy delivered in a very complex environment. Recommendations for designing student educational experiences related to the NICU are provided.