Promoting resiliency, adaptation and education for return to school after a spinal cord injury

Presenters: Katherine Hill, MOT OTR/L CBIS and Michele Ahern, PT

Description: A spinal cord injury can impact anyone, at any time and at any age. When children and teens sustain/suffer a SCI, many facets of their life and the life of their parents change in significant ways. Developmental skills, growth, the musculoskeletal system, functional mobility skills, parenting styles, expectations and psychosocial/emotional growth are all impacted by this injury. This webinar is designed to share our experiences of working with children birth through 18 years old in continueing the journey in the post acute phase and as they progress through adulthood. It is important to recognize and adjust our therapy plan based on the different ages and stages of our patients and provide interventions that reflect where they are now and looking forward to the future. Our program provides education and interventions addressing prevention of secondary complications, involvement in community activities, participation in school, and self advocacy in order to promote highest level of independence and quality of life. We will share our experiences of how we create developmentally appropriate treatment plans and constant family education in our day program at Ability KC.

Objectives:

1. Develop strategies to support self-adaptation and resiliency in the pediatric and adolescent SCI population
2. Discuss treatment, education and equipment needs for varying ages in the pediatric SCI population.
3. Discuss the school and community re entry process unique to the pediatric SCI population.