AACPDM

American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) Pre-Conference Sessions

All Pre-Conference Sessions are held on Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Morning Sessions (Presented live 8:00 am- 12:00 pm PT):

PC1: Establishing a Research Program Focused on Cerebral Palsy or Other Child-Onset Developmental Disabilities: Transitioning from an Early-Stage to an Independent Investigator
Christopher M. Modlesky, PhD, Kristie F. Bjornson, PT, PhD, MS, Rachel Byrne, PT, Michael C. Kruer, MD, Nathalie L. Maitre, MD, PhD, Noelle G. Moreau, PT, PhD

$100.00 (MEMBER)
$125.00 (NON-MEMBER)


The AACPDM’s Research Committee offered a Pre-Conference course at the 2021 annual meeting aimed at assisting Academy members interested in developing a funded research program, developing or improving grant writing skills, and developing basic pragmatic research strategies. This course is an extension of the 2021 Pre-Conference course. The purpose of this course is to outline a plan to transition from an early-stage investigator to an independent investigator. The plan will include setting up networks and complementary team members, establishing larger, multi-site collaborations, mentoring junior researchers, receiving mentorship, and developing a research program with impact. 

PC2: Schools as Members of the Complex Care Team
Irene Dietz, MD, Claire Wallace, PhD, Kurtis T. Sobush, MD, Rajashree Srinivasan, MD, Cheryl Brosig Soto, PhD, Karen Stoiber, PhD

$100.00 (MEMBER)
$125.00 (NON-MEMBER)


Federal statutes under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act are the background behind Special Education Laws. All children, including CMC, are to receive a free public education in the least restrictive environment. State law can mandate more protection than IDEA, but not less. Each state uses different criteria to determine programs and guidelines for qualifying students for special education. It is critically important for the health care providers working with CMC to understand that the public school must provide certain educational supports that meet the individual needs of the child. Educators must provide the services, but they often work within the school environment that is quite limited in terms of medical support. In addition, teachers may have students using technology and with diagnoses they have never encountered before. 

This course is offered to bridge the knowledge gap between medical professionals and school-based providers. Often the only communication between the school and medical team is the caregiver, sometimes caught in between wanting their child to attend school and have the most typical childhood experiences possible and remain safe and healthy with all necessary medical procedures ongoing during the school day. These can include, but are not limited to, specific procedures for respiratory support, communication, feeding, movement/ambulation, personal hygiene, or toileting. Specific guidelines to address common medical urgencies for changes in breathing, allergic reactions, seizures, acute fever, and even equipment failure need to be individualized for each child and communicated among the school, family, and medical providers.

Participants will be able to better understand these challenges by hearing perspectives from caregivers, teachers, school nurses, therapists, paraprofessionals in the classroom, and the medical team. Course Instructors will review a number of novel strategies designed to assist in ideal communication. Key issues common to medical conditions like traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurogenic bowel and bladder, tracheostomy, ventilator, and gastrostomy dependence will be discussed.

Instructors will also introduce novel approaches to address improved communication, including the hospital-based Educational Achievement Partnership Program (EAPP), designed to serve as a liaison across the family, the child’s medical team, and the school.

PC3: From Evidence to Implementation: Resistance Training Programs for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Other Neuromotor Conditions
Nicole Harris, MPT, PCS, BOCO
, James B. Hedgecock, PT, DPT, PCS

$100.00 (MEMBER)
$125.00 (NON-MEMBER)


This 4 hour pre-conference course will include presenters from different locations across North America whose work focuses on the evidence for and implementation of appropriately dosed progressive resistance exercise (PRE) for children with cerebral palsy (CP).  The group of presenters will represent different perspectives from backgrounds including front line clinical practice and implementation science (and potentially research and physiatry).

Functional independence in youth with cerebral palsy (CP) who are ambulatory is expected to plateau after the age of 7-8 years. A significant body of evidence supports that muscle performance impairments in youth with CP are one of the most significant factors impacting function and are also associated with participation. Recent evidence suggests that power-based PRE can improve strength, function and participation in youth with CP. However, conventional pediatric physical therapy approaches are typically below the therapeutic threshold required to induce gains in muscle power and strength to be impactful across function and participation domains of the ICF.  This evidence is relatively new, emerging only as early as 2013, and a gap in the translation of this evidence into typical pediatric PT practice has formed. 

This course will synthesize the latest evidence with real life experience and expertise of clinicians who have successfully implemented PRE research into practice in different large hospital and healthcare systems using different approaches.  The Resistance Training Program (RTP) model that was successfully implemented in two hospital systems will be introduced along with recommended outcome measurement for successful implementation of the RTP. Key concepts in determining PRE-based exercise intervention will be reviewed and applied. In addition, case studies and aggregated outcomes of over 200 participants will be presented that show improvements across all levels of the ICF. Different considerations for program development will be discussed with an emphasis on implementation science for accelerated adoption of evidence into practice. The latest evidence regarding resistance training approaches will be highlighted.

Attendees can look forward to a dynamic discussion integrating compelling evidence and practical tools and strategies for implementing this cutting edge therapeutic intervention for children with cerebral palsy.

Afternoon Sessions (Presented live 1:00 pm- 5:00 pm PT):

PC4: Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination for Telehealth: A Developmental Surveillance Tool
Nathalie Maitre, MD, PhD, Rachel Byrne, PT, Álvaro Hidalgo-Robles, PT

$100.00 (MEMBER)
$125.00 (NON-MEMBER)


A published and effective clinical training workshop format approved by the original trainers for the Hammersmith, that will provide participants with the following:
1. An introduction to the HINE within the context of other neurological examinations in infants;
2. A video demonstration of the basic elements of the HINE and what neurological system function they test;
3. A discussion of published optimality scores, cut-off scores that assist in various clinical situations;
4. Two practice, hands-on opportunities with volunteer infants and video scoring;
5. A review of scoring using a video compiled by HINE trainers of abnormal elements;

6. A video test to assess reliability of scoring.

PC6: Using Gait Analysis to Guide Your Treatment: A Flipped Classroom Exercise
$100.00 (MEMBER)
$125.00 (NON-MEMBER)


This course will use a “Flipped Classroom” educational model. A series of introductory lectures will provide a framework and background for gait analysis and surgical decision making for children with Cerebral Palsy. The audience will be divided into small groups of 8-10 participants with one faculty instructor assigned to each table. Each table will run through a series of clinical cases led by the faculty instructor. The cases will be shared with the participants ahead of time. Discussion will revolve around identifying the gait deviations using Motion Analysis and creating a surgical recipe with appropriate dosing based on age and functional level. Each table will be divided to represent three different levels of difficulty similar to winter down-hill skiing: Green circle will be reserved for the novice learner unfamiliar to motion analysis, Blue squares represent the intermediate learner who is familiar with motion analysis but working on creating a surgical recipe and Black diamond will represent the learner who is competent with motion analysis interpretation and working on developing an expert surgical recipe. At each table the same case will be presented but there will be variable detail according to the level of difficulty identified. Cases will involve common gait deviations including: Jump Gait, Crouch Gait, Lever arm Dysfunction and Type IV Hemiplegia.

Important Dates

December 1, 2021
Abstract Submissions Open

January 31, 2022
Abstract Submission Deadline

April 20, 2022
Abstract Notifications Sent Out

May 25 2022
Preliminary Program Available and Registration Open

June 16, 2022
Presentation and Poster Tasks and Information Sent Out

August 15, 2022
Early Bird Registration Deadline

August 21, 2022
Hotel Registration Deadline

September 1, 2022
Online Registration Deadline

September 7, 2022
Speaker Handout and Poster Upload Deadline

September 21-24, 2022
76th Annual Meeting