CEREBRAL PALSY--HELP

[Kersh Iyer]

Hi all....I've just started working at a special needs school. I have no NDT training but i have over the years worked with CP kids. I would really appreciate some advise on when does one stop treatment (even if goals are reached)....

Kersh

[estherderu]

Dear Kersch,
The questions seems so easy to answer but it is not.
You need to consider:
-what are your treatment goals
-what are the reasons for wanting to stop
-what are the parents/childs goals and/or their reasons for wanting to stop treatment
-do you both agree?
-has treatment ever been stopped before
-how old is the child, (motor- sensor development)
-what do others think (teachers,family members, schoolboard)
-what is considered normal in your culture?

In Holland many children are not treated for periodes of 6 weeks in holiday time and that time has been found to be acceptable. The childs situation does not really change in that periode.

On a whole, stopping treatment for a while can be a goal in itself, giving therapist and child and parents a change to "get away from it all"
for a periode of time. The most important thing I can say is communicate, ask the parents and child what they think and want and come to an agreement. Do some simple testing as a last therapy session and repeat this after a .... month interval to see if anything has changed for the better or not. In come cases a child can do just as well by being the member of a local sports team.

Esther