Essentials of Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Course Description

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association defines pediatric spinal cord injury as an acute traumatic lesion of the spinal cord and nerve roots in children from newborn through 15 years of age. Pediatric SCI is a lifelong, high-cost disability that has a profound effect on the physical, mental, emotional, and social health of the child involved. Via lecture and case study, students will examine key principals related to rehabilitation of the child with spinal cord injury. They will explore the correlations between level of injury and expected functional outcome and dive into common complications following SCI in the pediatric population. Through case studies, students will examine therapy considerations and develop treatment interventions.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Recognize the basic anatomy and physiology of the spinal cord.
• Describe the unique mechanisms of injury associated with pediatric SCI.
• Explain the purpose of the ISNCSCI examination and its reliability in the pediatric population.
• Describe the common musculoskeletal impairments and other complications associated with pediatric SCI.
• Describe functional goals based on level of spinal cord injury.
• Develop an appropriate therapy plan of care and common treatment interventions for pediatric patients with SCI.

• Prerequisites

  None

• Educational Level

  Intermediate

• Other

  Satisfactory completion of this course will require the participant to complete a 10 question post-test with a minimum passing score of 70%.