• Join Andy Ringer MSc PHYT Physiotherapist, Melanie Horton BSc PHYT Physiotherapist and Kirsty Shepherd BSc PHYT Physiotherapist for three 2-hour online sessions
• Comprehensive notes to downloaded
• Self-assessment quizzes to ‘release’ your 8 hours CPD certification (don’t worry, you can take them more than once if you don’t quite hit the mark first time)
• A whole year’s access to recorded sessions for reviewing key points (and in case you miss a live session!)
• Superb value for money – learn without travelling
• Watch the  recordings on your iPad!

Programme

Cerebral palsy; What is it? How does it present? Typical development vs atypical development

Cerebral palsy is the most prevalent neurological condition impacting children worldwide, affecting 1 in 400 births in the UK. Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term that encompasses a varied and broad description of patients and their presentations. The management of children and young people with this complex neurological condition requires a basic knowledge of brain anatomy and function, and how injury or lesions to certain areas of the brain will impact upon patients movement and function.

Cerebral palsy is defined as a ‘non-progressive’ brain lesion, but a patients presentation and movement will change over time. Many patients with cerebral palsy also present with a multitude of comorbidities and secondary complications, potentially resulting in an even more complex clinical picture. With the knowledge gained from this webinar, therapists will be able to participate in a holistic, participation based therapy assessment and understand why patients may present with certain clinical characteristics.

Intended learning outcomes:

• Be able to define cerebral palsy and understand why patients present with different types of movement disorder
• Have an awareness of secondary complications and common comorbidities present in cerebral palsy
• Have an awareness of global physical milestones; typical vs atypical development
• Assessment principles and approaches
• Discussion of role of physiotherapist within a multidisciplinary team

The importance and implication of early intervention on children with Cerebral Palsy

Evidence is now strongly supporting the importance of early intervention with children who have acquired a brain injury resulting in a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. This therefore is of great significance to treating therapists for whom have children on their caseload with such diagnoses. When the young brain is developing, dendrites and synapses are produced a high rate, making this the optimal time and opportunity to make new pathways for motor learning. Therefore, following an insult/injury to the brain, focus of therapy should be to optimise neuroplasticity through building and strengthening new pathways to help children develop, learn and consolidate skills required for gross motor development. The brain is proved to be most receptive to changes when the activities and interventions carried out are task specific, purposeful and meaningful to the child, and then such activities need to be repeated intensively.

Intended learning outcomes:

• To be able to define neuroplasticity and to understand cortical re-organisation and how this can be influenced positively with therapy
• To be understand the 10 factors that influence neuroplasticity and how these can be applied to a Paediatric group
• Discuss why intervention as early as possible following brain injury helps optimise neuroplasticity
• What Are the Therapies/Treatment That Offer the Most Researched Results to enhance neuroplasticity?
• Discuss how we can apply the principles of Neuroplasticity to our therapy intervention

Evidence based treatment for children and young people with unilateral Cerebral Palsy

As autonomous practitioners it is important that we deliver the most up to date evidence based rehabilitation techniques, to children and young people, to optimise their gross and fine motor skills thus improving their independence in the future. Physiotherapists should be able to complete a thorough assessment that includes standardised assessments to plan for each patient’s therapy programme. Physiotherapists play an important role in teaching parents about unilateral Cerebral Palsy and should support families throughout their child’s development. The young developing brain is very adaptable, we should use this opportunity and the principles of motor learning to improve function of the affected upper limb and lower limb. Constraint induced movement therapy and bimanual therapies are well researched and evidence based rehabilitation techniques. Children and young people should be provided with the opportunity to complete such well-researched treatments when it is appropriate to prevent any future musculoskeletal changes and improve independence in the future.

Intended learning outcomes:

• To gain understanding of hemiplegia, hemiparesis and hemidystonia
• To discuss the assessment and outcome measures of children and young people with unilateral Cerebral Palsy
• To discuss Functional Hand use and the importance of hand role differentiation
• To develop knowledge and understanding of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy
• To develop knowledge and understanding of Bimanual Therapy
• To discuss current evidence for Botulinum Toxin
• To discuss current evidence for Lower limb rehabilitation

The price includes all 3 sessions, notes and quiz – 8 hours of CPD

*No traffic jams, accommodation hassles, pet or childcare, rota clashes, locum fees ……….. just great CPD and a valuable ongoing resource.