Pediatric Health and Wellness for Physical Therapists
Presented by Eydie Kendall
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This course will provide a broad look at the concepts of health and wellness as they apply to the pediatric population. It begins with a review of the many aspects of fitness and a description of the relevant physiology and anatomy throughout a continuum of ages, from prematurity to adolescence. The course explores ways to assess fitness, in a formal clinic or on the playground, for typically developing children and those with disabilities. Specific concepts of fitness are applied to children with common diagnoses addressed by therapists. The course concludes with a discussion of intervention approaches and lifestyle and environmental considerations. This course is appropriate for pediatric physical therapists who work with children with any movement challenges or fitness needs. Pediatric occupational therapists may also find it helpful. It is specifically designed for therapists who want to extend their knowledge beyond the basic level or who are considering specialist certification.
Meet your instructor
Eydie Kendall
Dr. Kendall has more than 30 years of experience as a physical therapist in a multitude of environments, with the last 20 focusing on pediatrics. She is a board-certified clinical specialist in pediatrics. She is also a certified adapted physical educator. A lifetime of outdoor experience and multisport endurance…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Introduction to Pediatric Fitness
This chapter reviews the various aspects of fitness, making comparisons of the child to the adult in muscle activation, flexibility, aerobic capacity, and body composition. Instruction on determining and interpreting BMI percentiles for children is provided.
2. Assessment of Pediatric Fitness
This chapter covers strategies for measuring fitness, from formal exercise testing to more clinically available methods and instruments. Adaptations and considerations for popular motor tests used by physical therapists and adapted physical educators are discussed.
3. Fitness and Common Pediatric Conditions
This chapter looks at some of the more common diagnoses in children often seen on the caseload of physical therapists and describes how fitness should be considered in their care. The chapter also discusses “lack of fitness” as a condition that impacts the ability of a child to move and provides evidence that it is a pathway to disability.
4. Intervention for Fitness
This chapter describes the recommendations for amount and type of activities that can improve fitness for typical children and those with neuromuscular challenges. It also describes the environment and the family as determining factors of fitness, and ways to incorporate these considerations in setting up a healthy lifestyle.